Dear
Councilmember
X:
«Salutation»
«Last»
:
Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, in partnership with other
local and statewide groups are proposing a PBT-free purchasing
resolution that will be circulated to members of the Common
Council by Councilmember Antoine Thompson. This
practical resolution seeks to implement purchasing practices
for the City of Buffalo that favor products that do not create
extremely toxic chemicals during their manufacture and/or
disposal. Citizens Campaign for the Environment, League
of Women Voters of Buffalo/Niagara, New York Public Interest
Research Group, Western New York Council on Occupational
Safety and Health, and a growing list of community,
environmental, and labor organizations also endorse the
resolution.
A group of pollutants known as PBTs (persistent
bioaccumulative toxic chemicals) persist in the
environment, build up in the food chain, and can pose
risks to public health and the environment through their
carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting effects, immune
system impairment, neurotoxicity, birth defect causation,
and reproductive dysfunction.
According to INFORM, more than 90% of PBTs are leaving
factories in products, not in waste, and are found in a
wide range of consumer and industrial products including
paints, pesticides, solvents, inks, dyes and solder. Every
day, the City of Buffalo along with other local and state
governments purchase thousands of products for agencies,
departments, and institutions that contain PBTs. The
good news is that there are many widely available, safer
products that are cost competitive and meet or exceed
performance expectations.
We would like the City of Buffalo to join the Erie County
Department of Environment and Planning, and a growing list
of cities such as Boston, MA and Seattle, WA, in favoring
the purchase of safer products over those that contain or
release dangerous toxic chemicals such as dioxins and
mercury. The City of Buffalo can help shift the
market towards cleaner, safer alternatives and play an
important role in pollution prevention by changing their
own purchasing practices.
The Buffalo PBT-free purchasing resolution will be the
first citywide initiative in New York, will build momentum
for pollution prevention in the Northeast, and will
warrant positive media attention and environmental
achievement for the City of Buffalo.
Enclosed is a copy of the proposed resolution for your
consideration.
