Buffalo, NY – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment welcomed representatives from local, state and national organizations to an open dialogue on issues important to the future of the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are our region’s most vital natural resource,” said Congressman Higgins, a member of the House of Representatives Great Lakes Task Force. “Historically, the lakes shaped this region as a port welcoming settlers, commerce and growth. The long-tem health and vibrancy of this fresh water source is fundamental to the future of our environment and quality of life for those who will enjoy the lakes for generations to come.”

Organizations attending the meeting included: the United States Army Corps, Sierra Club, Southtowns Walleye Association, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, Great Lakes Sports Fishing Council, University at Buffalo Environmental Law program, Great Lakes United, Seneca Nation, Audubon NY, Buffalo Audubon Society, Jamestown Audubon Society, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Attorney General’s Office, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York and eleven other states are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over new regulations denying the public access to information about toxic chemicals in their communities.

The EPA will allow thousands of companies to avoid disclosing information to the public about the toxic chemicals they use, store, and
release into the environment by rolling back chemical reporting requirements. The suit seeks to overturn the weakened reporting requirements and provide the public with the access they had in the past.

“The EPA’s new regulations rob New Yorkers – and people across the country – of their right to know about toxic dangers in their own
backyards,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Along with eleven other states throughout the nation, we will restore the public’s right to information about chemical hazards, despite the Bush administration’s best attempts to hide it.”

The changes to the reporting requirements affect the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program. The TRI is the only comprehensive, publicly-available database of toxic chemical use, storage, and release in the United States. Under the TRI, companies are required to provide the EPA and the states in which the company’s facilities are located with information critical to public health and safety, and the environment. This information includes the types and amounts of toxic chemicals stored at the company’s facilities and the quantities they release into the environment.