Local Community Organizations Receive Grants to Prevent Pollution

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A. Sue Weisler

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute’s Community Grants Program provides funds to local environmental and community organizations to support initiatives in pollution prevention. Above, Anahita Williamson, director of the institute, discusses an environmentally focused coloring book for school children that was created through the program.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute housed at Rochester Institute of Technology has announced the 2010 recipients of its Community Grants Program. The effort provides monetary assistance to communities to advance the development and implementation of programs and initiatives in pollution prevention.

The grants, ranging from $5,000 to $12,000, will be used to promote education and awareness and to enhance research in clean technology development and environmental health and safety practices.

Three Rochester-area agencies received awards through the program. The Water Education Collaborative will use the funds to develop an exhibit at the Seneca Park Zoo as part of its H2O Hero Campaign. The collaborative seeks to educate homeowners on how to address water management and storm-water issues while promoting broader pollution prevention in communities.

The WXXI Public Broadcasting Council will produce a DVD, WXXI’s Healthy Homes and distribute it for free to the Rochester community. The DVD includes the latest guidelines and hands-on techniques to educate the general public, landlords, renters and homeowners in regard to finding and eliminating health hazards caused by pollutants in the home.

The Center for Environmental Education will develop a multi-agency collaboration, Preventing Pills from Becoming Waste, to educate health care providers and the general public on how to prevent the over dispensing of medications. It will also provide information on how to properly dispose of unused medicine.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute is housed at Rochester Institute of Technology and provides state-wide, comprehensive and integrated program in technology research, development and diffusion, outreach and training and education aimed at making New York state more sustainable for workers, the public, the environment and the economy. The institute was created in 2008 through a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Additional institute partners include Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Clarkson University, State University of New York at Buffalo and New York’s 10 Regional Technology Development Centers.