ExiledInIllinois Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 10 Most Polluted Cities Look BFLO made the top 10 CLEANEST (3rd best)! BUFFALO RISING ONLINE June 3, 2008 We Are #3 (again) When It Comes To Being Clean Once again Buffalo has scored incredibly high in the Reader's Digest 'Cleanest City' rankings. So high,as a matter of fact, that we can still wave the number three flag high in the air. It was back in '06 when we first posted on the clean city ranking. At that time there was a rumbling of disbelief among BRO readers. But here we are again... Reader's Digest has just announced the top five cities, while giving honorable mention to the entire heat of 50 cleanest/most populous metropolitan areas. So why is Buffalo pulling ahead (and staying ahead) of the pack? The high ranking is partly due to our new windmill farm. It's also due to our recent brownfield cleanup efforts. Even the big blue garbage bin effort has contributed to the high rankings. Cleaner water, cleaner streets, cleaner air... let's keep up the 'green' work Buffalo. America's Cleanest Cities BFLO #3 #3 Buffalo, New York (Erie and Niagara counties) Background: Long known as a Rust Belt city where steel was king, Buffalo was hit hard when that industry went into steep decline more than two decades ago. As steel plants shut down, Buffalo was forced to rebuild its economy from the ground up. But by leveraging its assets, including a low cost of living and cheap, clean hydroelectric energy generated by nearby Niagara Falls, Buffalo has begun luring new, nonmanufacturing businesses to the area. Problems: After the shuttering of its steel plants and oil refineries, the region was left with the residue of its industrial past: A heavily polluted Buffalo River and acres of brownfields and Superfund sites, including the notorious Love Canal. By the 1990s, Buffalo's dwindling population, shrinking tax base and fiscal problems meant drastic cuts in city services -- including sanitation. As a result, huge trash piles often accumulated in front of homes, sometimes going uncollected for days on end. At the same time, Buffalo was struggling with a sizable rat infestation. Solutions: With the help of environmental quality bonds and Superfund dollars, Buffalo has made great strides in containing and cleaning up brownfields and contaminated sites. Meanwhile, plans are underway to turn part of the former Bethlehem Steel site -- an 1,100-acre brownfield on the shores of Lake Erie -- into a wind farm that will generate clean power for businesses and residents. The state is also overseeing a Buffalo River cleanup, already successful enough to draw boaters and fishermen back to the waterway. As for the trash problems, Buffalo undertook an award-winning restructuring of its garbage collection system. A fleet of 13 high-tech street sweepers, deployed 24 hours a day during non-winter months, now helps keep the streets clear of debris. And the city has dramatically curbed the rat problem by distributing large, securely covered garbage bins to every residence in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marv's Neighbor Posted December 27, 2008 Share Posted December 27, 2008 Maybe we should demand a recount! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverNRed Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Congratulations, Buffalo. After clearing out most of your population and businesses, you're now a "clean" city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted December 28, 2008 Author Share Posted December 28, 2008 Congratulations, Buffalo. After clearing out most of your population and businesses, you're now a "clean" city. That is what I was thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Congratulations, Buffalo. After clearing out most of your population and businesses, you're now a "clean" city. Maybe next they can stop plowing the roads and go for "green" status! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted December 28, 2008 Author Share Posted December 28, 2008 Maybe next they can stop plowing the roads and go for "green" status! They should get an "Add-a-Boy" for "green" status because the don't dump the snow into the lake... They pile it up at Front Park... Which then melts into the lake/river... Then goes over one of the biggest natural dilluting filters in the world (Niagara Falls) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 Did they include Tonawanda, river road area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted December 28, 2008 Author Share Posted December 28, 2008 Not in WNY, but the Niagara Parkway was one of Winston Churchills favorite drives... YUCK!... I can just imagine looking across the river at New York during that era! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdelma Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 The region has or had one of the highest cancer rates in the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 One more reason to thank JP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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