On Air with Clean Air Council

How to Shut Down a Chemical Recycling Facility

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:00:00 -0000

Activists Sandy FIeld and Andrew Stuhl join On Air to discuss their victory in shutting down the proposed Encina chemical recycling facility in Point Township, PA. The now-dead plastic chemical recycling plant faced immediate community opposition when it was announced in 2022. The proposed facility—which would have been the largest of its kind in the United States—intended to use extreme heat and refining processes to convert plastic into toxic benzene, toluene, and xylene to be shipped by rail throughout the state, raising major air quality and safety concerns. The process would have used 2.9 million gallons of water a day from the Susquehanna River, threatening to pollute a vital source of drinking water with microplastics and PFAS. Their organizing efforts are a playbook for other communities facing similar proposed polluters.

Learn more about the victory at saveoursusquehanna.org.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at cleanair.org

The Story of Plastics

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:03:38 -0000

Episode Notes

The theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastic.” For this theme, we sat down with award-winning producer of the Story of Plastics, Stiv Wilson. Stiv shares his eye-opening experience of creating the documentary and the global impact of both the oil and gas industry and the petrochemical industry and how they are banking on us to keep using single use plastics. Learn about what we must do to stop our dependency on plastics and protect our environment. Stiv also shares a sneak peek into his new documentary, “Goliath is Shaking.” Tune in to learn more.

Learn more about Stiv Wilson’s work at https://peakplasticfoundation.org.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at cleanair.org.

Get to Know Clean Air Council’s New Executive Director

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:18:00 -0000

Episode Notes

Recently, we sat down with Alex Bomstein, the Council’s new Executive Director, to learn what makes him tick as well as his ideas for Clean Air Council’s future. Alex candidly answers questions about his work at the Council, being a life-long environmentalist and devout vegan, and a dog/cat dad. Tune in and get to know Alex.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at cleanair.org

Train Derailment in East Palestine part 2

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:48:00 -0000

This installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council” is the conclusion of our two-part episode looking into the aftermath of Norfolk Southern’s train derailment in East Palestine, OH. This two-part episode features Clean Air Council’s Andrew Woomer, as well as residents and activists Hilary Flint and Jess Conard.

In this second episode we discuss the support received by residents living in and around the East Palestine crash site and hear some of the lasting effects almost a year later.

If you missed the first episode of this series, you can listen to it here.

Guests: -Andrew Woomer, Advocacy Coordinator for Southwest Pennsylvania at Clean Air Council -Hilary Flint, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community and Vice President of Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment -Jess Conard, Appalachia Director for Beyond Plastics

Learn more about Clean Air Council at Cleanair.org, Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community at MarcellusAwareness.org, Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment at facebook.com/groups/758398132306434, and Beyond Plastics at beyondplastics.org

Train Derailment in East Palestine part 1

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:20:00 -0000

The ninth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council” breaks down the events surrounding Norfolk Southern’s train derailment in East Palestine. This two-part episode features Clean Air Council’s Andrew Woomer, as well as residents and activists Hilary Flint and Jess Conard.

In this first episode we discuss what happened the night of the derailment and the immediate response from Norfolk Southern and the EPA. We hear Hilary and Jess’s accounts from the communities in and around the crash site, as well as Andrew’s experience on the ground providing direct relief to those affected. Stay tuned for the second episode in this series about the train derailment in East Palestine coming in 2 weeks on December 14th.

Guests:

Andrew Woomer, Advocacy Coordinator for Southwest Pennsylvania at Clean Air Council
Hilary Flint, Director of Communications and Community Engagement for Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community and Vice President of Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment
Jess Conard, Appalachia Director for Beyond Plastics

Breathing a Little Easier in Your Apartment

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Episode Notes

In the eighth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we follow the story of an apartment building creating a healthier environment for its residents. Thomas Wynne Apartments President Cathy Lockyer Moulton and Leasing Manager Kathryn Willcox give us insights into their journey transitioning to a smoke free apartment building. Find out what challenges and benefits they faced in this process and learn some tips if you want your apartment building to be smoke free.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at Cleanair.org and about the Smokefree program at cleanair.org/other-enviro-initiatives/tobacco.

Protecting Walkability in Philadelphia

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 13:49:00 -0000

In the seventh installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we learn how infrastructure can make a street more or less safe for pedestrians and other road users. Titania Markland, Clean Air Council Transportation Outreach Coordinator and Feet First Philly representative, talks about Feet first Philly, pedestrian advocacy, and an amazing mini-grant program that puts money in the hands of community members to create public space enhancements and safety improvements where they are needed the most.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at Cleanair.org and about Feet First Philly at feetfirstphilly.org.

The blog post about the Mini-Grant program can be found here.

Download the full request for proposal and application here.

Submit your application using Feet First Philly’s Google form here.

Donate to the mini-grant program here.

Keeping Renovo Healthy

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:53:00 -0000

Episode Notes

In the sixth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we travel to Renovo, PA, to talk with residents opposing a proposed power plant right in town. Renovo, PA is a designated environmental justice community and small idyllic town in North Central PA, where Virginia-based multinational engineering corporation, Bechtel Corporation, is proposing to develop the Renovo Energy Center gas-fired power plant. This power plant is being planned to be less than 30 feet from homes and businesses, just north of Erie Avenue in Renovo, PA. The plant would be the fourth largest industrial polluter of greenhouse gases in Pennsylvania and would emit more greenhouse gases than the City of Pittsburgh. Learn from residents Sue Cannon, Maureen Rhul, and Michelle Whitney why this gas fired power plant is unwanted, unnecessary, and will provide no benefits to residents - only burdens.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at Cleanair.org and about Renovo Residents for a Healthy Environment at healthyrenovo.org.

Tune in wherever you listen to podcasts or listen to all past episodes at cleanair.org/on-air

The Protective Buffers Campaign

Mon, 16 May 2022 15:05:00 -0000

Episode Notes

In the fifth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Clean Air Advocacy Coordinator Lois Bower-Bjornson discusses what it’s like to live among oil and gas infrastructure and how the Protective Buffers campaign aims to protect Pennsylvania communities and the environment. Shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure has been harming the health of Pennsylvania residents for years. Simply put, these industrial projects are being built far too close to where people live, work, and gather. It’s past time for the state to update its outdated laws and protect our health with greater protective buffer distances.

Learn more about Clean Air Council at cleanair.org and about the Protective Buffers PA campaign at protectivebufferspa.org

Take action today to let your representatives know that you want stronger protections for Pennsylvania residents, and that you support 2,500+ foot buffers between fracking and our communities.

Find out more at https://on-air-with-clean-air-council.pinecast.co

Hazards in Our Backyard

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 14:31:00 -0000

In the fourth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Clean Air Council Advocate Russell Zerbo talks with community organizing partner Nathaniel Philip about their work in West Philadelphia around a proposed residential development with serious environmental concerns. Nathaniel, a graduate of Drexel University with a master's degree in Public Health, volunteers with the community group Neighbors for Healthy Community Development (NHCD).

Learn more about NHCD: westphillynhcd.com

Learn more about Clean Air Council: cleanair.org

Find out more at https://on-air-with-clean-air-council.pinecast.co

Community-Driven Research

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 18:59:00 -0000

In the third installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Staff Advocate Russell Zerbo talks with community organizing partner Kyle Cruz about their work improving public health and zoning enforcement in North Philadelphia. Their work with HACE (Hispanic Association of Contractors and Entrepreneurs) and APM (Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha) aims to help share knowledge and resources with other RCO's (Recognized Community Organizations) to help them work with developers to ensure the needs of their community are met.

Listen and learn.

Find out more at https://on-air-with-clean-air-council.pinecast.co

2020 Presidential Election and Beyond

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:01:00 -0000

Episode Notes

In the second installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Staff Attorneys Robert Routh and Logan Welde detail how the outcome of the 2020 election will affect environmental health, climate change, environmental justice, and other pressing issues in Pennsylvania and beyond. What changes and opportunities can we expect in the next four years of a Biden administration?

Listen and learn.

Find out more at https://on-air-with-clean-air-council.pinecast.co

Introduction to Clean Air Council and Greenfest Philly

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 21:00:00 -0000

In Episode 1, Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Joseph Minott, explains how the Council was founded, the political climate surrounding the environmental movement, and what you can do to get involved. Bobby Szafranski, Special Events Director, gives a sneak-peek into VIRTUAL Greenfest Philly running Sept. 12-27 on a computer near you.