Tompkins County

By: Aurora Trainor

Mentored By: Lisa McDevitt

About EcoEd!

• EcoEd is a program for students grades 7-12 (now expanded to elementary students!) that was created to help students learn more about the environment than just what is taught in school

• This year’s focus was on a New York county, it’s general health, and how it compares with other counties in the state

Where is Tompkins?

Methods• First…what is a county?

– Helps organize the state – Supports a smaller area

• How to research a county? – Use of official county sites – County plans– Data provided by the county, state, and federal

government.

Background• Established in 1817

– Originally native American land – Settled by Europeans, then given to Revolutionary War

veterans – Named for vice president at the time and fourth

governor of New York

• County government:– County Council of Governments – Many departments– Human and Public Services

Waterfalls, Wetlands, and Gorges in Tompkins County

http://www.cnyhiking.com/IthacaFallsPanorama10152013.jpg

http://ithacafingerlakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/40859small-682x1024.jpg

http://ithacafingerlakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/FLLT-P63-1-18_0064-1024x681.jpg

Indicators• Using data such as watershed health and air

quality can help indicate the health of an area

• There was no data from Tompkins County on the number of unhealthy air days for the general population according to the EPA

• 5% of rivers and 12% of lakes have poor water quality. However, many rivers (about 57%!) do not have available data according to the NY DEC

Lead Case

http://www.termiteterry.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lead-paint.jpghttp://images-of-elements.com/lead-cut.jpg

Lead Case

• Popular use until 1970s in the U.S– Banned 1978

• Use in paint – Still found in many countries

• Found in lead soldered pipes and children’s toys

• Many detrimental health effects • Companies can benefit

Soil/Water Case

• Importance of soil to a county– Soil needs to be treated well

• The dangers of erosion• The many uses of water• Where Tompkins gets its water• What impacts water quality?

Air Quality Case

• Greenhouse gas emissions – AES Cayuga

• “Good” air quality 98.76% of the time, “moderate” 1.24%

• AQI is 41.7 – Ranked 22nd in New York State

• https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQDOHTh2nnQ-GpWrpI4eTPvrl-T-W1S1AC1nEuRl3Kg6MAYfQe

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Hydraulic Fracturing Case

• What is “fracking”? • Large companies are looking for

landowners to lease land to frack on• Affects on water, air, and soil • Human health concerns

Recommendations • I would recommend more updated studies of the

county including watershed, air quality, and soil data!

• I also believe that before fracking is ever considered in Tompkins, there should be more in depth studies on the potentially harmful affects.

• It is important to always improve in order to maintain good county health!– This requires support, hard work, and dedication

to the environment from the government and citizens!

Sources• “A Dairy Farmer Shares Her Story About Fracking: ‘What Have We Done?’ | Public Herald.” Accessed April 17, 2014.

http://www.publicherald.org/archives/16845/investigative-reports/energy-investigations/.• “Air Compare | AIRNow | US EPA.” Accessed April 20, 2014. http://www.epa.gov/aircompare/index.htm.• “Bradford County Fracking Map | NPR StateImpact.” Accessed April 17, 2014. http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/drilling/counties/bradford-county/.• “Chesapeake Energy Corporation 2012 Annual Report.” Accessed April 17, 2014. http://www.chk.com/Annual-Report/Pages/index.html#/4-5/zoomed.• “Dangers of Fracking.” Accessed April 17, 2014. http://www.dangersoffracking.com/.• “Fracking Our Food Supply | The Nation.” Accessed April 20, 2014. http://www.thenation.com/article/171504/fracking-our-food-supply#.• “Health - Lead - Product Recalls | Www.tompkinscountyny.gov.” Accessed April 16, 2014. http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health/lead/recalls.• “Ithaca: History - Ithaca Before the Civil War, Cornell University Opens, City Prospers.” Accessed April 15, 2014. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-

Northeast/Ithaca-History.html.• “Lead in Drinking Water | Lead | US EPA.” Accessed March 23, 2014. http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/.• “Lead Paint Background | Occupational Knowledge International.” Accessed April 16, 2014. http://www.okinternational.org/lead-paint/Background.• “Lead Poisoning Causes - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo Clinic.” Accessed March 22, 2014.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/basics/causes/con-20035487.• “Lead Poisoning Prevention Outreach in Ithaca, NY | Make A Difference Day.” Accessed March 23, 2014. http://www.makeadifferenceday.com/event/45498.• “Lead Poisoning: Your Child: University of Michigan Health System.” Accessed March 22, 2014. http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/leadpois.htm.• “Map 5: Incidence Rate of Blood Lead Levels ≥ 10 mcg/dL Among Children Under Age Six Years by County; Three-Year Average Rates, 2005 - 2007 Blood

Lead Test Data, New York State Excluding New York City.” Accessed March 23, 2014. http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/exposure/childhood/surveillance_report/2006-2007/section_2/map_5.htm.

• “Must See New York Waterfalls | Visit Ithaca, NY.” Accessed April 15, 2014. http://www.visitithaca.com/attractions/waterfalls.html.• “Oswego River/Finger Lakes Watershed - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.” Accessed April 20, 2014. http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/48023.html.• “Restoring Wetlands Near Cayuga Inlet: Presentation December 1 | Www.tompkinscountyny.gov.” Accessed April 17, 2014.

http://tompkinscountyny.gov/news/restoring-wetlands-near-cayuga-inlet-presentation-december-1.• “Section I: Testing and Results.” Accessed March 23, 2014. http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/lead/exposure/report/section1.htm.• “Soil Erosion – Causes and Effects.” Accessed April 17, 2014. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/12-053.htm#3.