Assemblyman Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, recently sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation, requesting equipment be put in place to monitor the air quality along the neighborhoods of the West Side. In the letter, Ryan cites a recent study that highlights the instance of chronic respiratory illness affecting the West Side.
The study found that nearly 45 percent of West Side households reported at least one case of chronic respiratory illness or asthma, according to the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York’s website.
“It’s time for the DEC to take action and put air monitors in place so we can find a solution to this problem,” said Ryan.
As a result of similar testing on the Tonawanda Coke Corp. plant, measures such as installing new filters on smoke stacks have been put in place that have decreased the harmful levels of toxic waste, according to Cody Myers, community liaison to Ryan.
“Really good benefits have resulted from actions taken in Tonawanda to reduce benzene levels coming from the coke factory,” said Myers. “Levels have now been reduced by approximately 80 percent.”
Ryan is concerned that the amount of traffic that passes through the West Side is a hindrance to air quality levels, similar to those in Tonawanda.
“The health and safety of West Side residents is one of my top priorities,” said Ryan. By Jacob Becker and Ed Mazzu
