NYC 5/9 NYCOSH Conf: Beyond 911 - Enviro/Public Health Policy Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit source - Jonathan Bennett May 9, 2002 - NYC Conference: Beyond September 11: Environmental and Public Health Policy For general information contact: David Levine at 212-817-7292 or Dave Newman at 212-627-3900 ext. 16. Representatives of the media are welcome; contact Jonathan Bennett at 212-627-3900 ext. 14 with media-related inquiries and requests for participant interviews prior to the conference, or ask for him at the conference site during the conference. Thursday, May 9, 8:30 - 5:00 CUNY Graduate Center Fifth Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets, Manhattan This working conference will assess the environmental and public health policy implications of the World Trade Center catastrophe. It is co-sponsored by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, Continuing Education & Public Programs. The conference has been endorsed by more than 30 organizations (see below for a complete list). More than 150 leaders and activists from environmental, labor, public health, education, immigrant, community, tenant, & faith-based organizations are expected to attend. 'We will foster discussion among leaders and activists,' says conference organizer David Newman. 'Our aim is to begin to develop an agreement among the participants on policy objectives and ways that we can organize to achieve them.' Among the questions the conferees will attempt to answer are these: Have the efforts of government agencies and other institutions been sufficient to protect the health of workers, residents, students and others? Have officials made full use of applicable regulations and enforcement procedures? How will the response to the events of September 11th shape future regulatory efforts and policies? What are the short- and long-term issues and solutions regarding environmental health and safety in New York City? 9:15-10:15 Panel I - Environmental Health Occupational Health and Safety, Emergency Preparedness & Response Don Carson, Director, Hazmat Program, International Union of Operating Engineers Lee Clarke, Senior Safety Coordinator, DC 37, AFSCME Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Member of Congress representing 8th Congressional District (lower Manhattan) Kathryn Freed, Lower Manhattan Community activist, former New York City Council member Marilena Christodoulou, President, Stuyvesant High School Parents' Association David Newman (moderator), Coordinator - World Trade Center Health and Safety Project, NYCOSH The continuing environmental safety and health consequences of the events of September 11th have tested the abilities of government agencies and private organizations to respond to large scale emergencies and disasters. What are the short- and long-term environmental health impacts of September 11? How have these impacts affected different populations such as emergency response and recovery workers, volunteers, cleanup workers, office workers, residents, children, and people with disabilities? Has the existing environmental and occupational safety and health regulatory framework proved adequate? Have response efforts been equitable for all affected groups? How have competing jurisdictions, authorities, and degrees of competency affected government response efforts? Which applicable regulations have been enforced and which ignored? How will current response efforts impact long-term regulatory and enforcement policies? What changes are needed? What proposals can we formulate for improved enforcement, new laws, policies, strategies, funding, programs, organizational structures, and research? How can we work together to implement these changes? 10:30-11:30 Panel II - Physical and Mental Health Dr. Stephen Levin, Co-Director, Mt. Sinai-Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine Mae Lee, Director, Chinese Progressive Association Roger Cook, United Church of Christ, National Disaster Ministries Roy Grant, Director of Research, Children's Health Fund Eva J. Usadi, M.A., B.C.D., Adjunct Professor, NYU School of Social Work Julie Hyman (moderator), Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York The short- and long-term impacts of the events of September 11 on the mental and physical health of workers, residents, service providers, children and the broader community have not yet been fully understood or addressed. We are still evaluating the abilities of social service, mental health, medical, and public health systems to respond to the needs created by September 11. To assess and meet these needs, which differ among a widely diverse range of populations, requires that we address communication, financial, logistical, quality, and consistency issues on a scale and complexity that has not been attempted before. What are the medical, mental health, and social service needs of New Yorkers affected by the events of September 11? How have public and private health and social service providers responded to the diverse populations affected by the events of September 11? How have response efforts challenged the health, insurance, and social services delivery system on both the recipient and provider ends? What needs have been successfully addressed and what gaps in services have been identified? What changes are needed? What proposals can we formulate for improved enforcement, new laws, policies, strategies, funding, programs, organizational structures, and research? How can we work together to implement these changes? 11:30-1:15 All the conference participants will gather in small working sessions (including a working lunch) to discuss the policy proposals put forth in the panel discussions. 1:20-2:20 Panel III - Access to Information: Community and Worker Right to Know Sanford Lewis, J.D., Safe Hometowns Initiative Omar Henriquez, Youth and Immigrant outreach Coordinator, NYCOSH Joel Kupferman, Attorney, New York environmental Law and Justice Project Sean Moulton, Senior Policy Analyst, Environmental Information Policy, OMB Watch Jonathan Bennett, Public Affairs Director, NYCOSH Shawn Bobb (moderator), Health and Safety Specialist, Public Employees Federation The right to free and full access to information is a cornerstone of environmental and occupational safety and health laws. The events of September 11th and since have underscored how important it is for workers and residents to be able to get information about environmental and health hazards, sampling results, risk assessment, and risk management. Additionally, affected populations should be able to participate in the planning and implementation of emergency response efforts. In the aftermath of September 11, what have been the roles of government agencies, private organizations, and the mass media in providing accurate, useful, and current information? Have workers, residents, employers, and building owners received sufficient guidance to enable them to evaluate health risks and to engage in effective cleanup operations? How have security concerns impacted the public's right to know? What changes are needed? What proposals can we formulate for improved enforcement, new laws, policies, strategies, funding, programs, organizational structures, and research? How can we work together to implement these changes? 2:30-3:30 Panel IV - Long Term Planning for Environmental Health Joel Shufro, Executive Director, NYCOSH Bill Walsh, National Coordinator, Healthy Buildings Network Stephen Boese, NYS Director, Healthy Schools Network, Inc. Paul Woods Bartlett, Research Associate, Center for the Biology of Natural Systems, Queens College James Parrott, Fiscal Policy Institute, Labor Community Advocacy Network to Rebuild New York Swati Prakash (moderator), Environmental Health Director, West Harlem Environmental Action The impact of September 11th has forced concerns about environmental health and safety to the forefront. How can we take advantage of this new awareness to address the broad spectrum of environmental health and safety issues that affect New York City? How do we better involve and inform the public in decisions about policies that affect them? What changes and improvements can be made to existing policies and regulations for industry, transportation, schools, building design and construction, air quality, environmental safety and other areas to reduce future risk and create safer and healthier environments for all New Yorkers? How can we work together to implement these changes? 3:30-4:30 All the conference participants will gather in small working sessions to discuss the policy proposals put forth in the panel discussions. 4:35-5:00 Working groups report back to a plenary session 5:00- 6:00 Reception A suggested donation of $20 is requested, but no one will be turned away for inability to pay. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Pre-registration is required. To register send your name, affiliation, address, phone number and e-mail address to Continuing Education and Public Programs, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, #8111, New York NY 10016 or telephone 212-817-8215. Make payment to "CUNY Graduate Center - 9/11 Conference." Conference endorsers: Amalgamated Transit Union Local 726 Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (UAW 2325) Center for Constitutional Rights Center for Human Environments at the Graduate Center, CUNY Center for Independence of The Disabled in New York (CIDNY) Center for the Biology of Natural Systems at Queens College, CUNY Center for the Study of Culture, Technology & Work at the Graduate Center, CUNY Children's Environments Research Group at the Graduate Center, CUNY Children's Health Fund Chinese Progressive Association Clean Air Campaign Communication Workers of America, District 1 District Council 37, AFSCME Environmental Defense Health Care Without Harm Healthy Buildings Network Healthy Schools Network Latin American Workers' Project Lower Manhattan Residents Relief Coalition Lower Manhattan Tenants' Coalition Mt. Sinai - Selikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine National Center for Environmental Health Strategies NY Disaster Recovery Interfaith Task Force New York Environmental Law and Justice Project NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) PhD Program in Psychology, the Graduate Center, CUNY Professional Staff Congress (American Federation of Teachers) P.T.A.s of P.S. 89 & 150 Public Employees Federation, NYS (AFL-CIO) Public Health Association of New York City Safe Hometowns Initiative Stuyvesant High School Parents' Association Transport Workers Union Local 100 Union of Needletrades, Industrial & Textile Employees, AFL-CIO, CLC United Church of Christ, National Disaster Ministries WEACT (West Harlem Environmental Action) White Lung Association World Trade Center Environmental Coalition The conference agenda can be viewed on the internet at http://www.nycosh.org/9-11conference.html For more information call David Levine at 212-817-7292 or Dave Newman at 212-627-3900 ext. 16. The CUNY Graduate Center is fully handicap accessible. Those requiring additional accommodations please contact the organizers. Public transportation: Subways B, D, F, N, Q, R, V, or W to 34th Street, which is handicap accessible. Subways 4, 5, 6 to 33rd Street, which is not handicap accessible. Buses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 32, 34 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathan Bennett, Public Affairs Director, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health 275 7th Ave., New York, N.Y. 10001 jbennett@nycosh.org Tel: 212-627-3900 ext. 14 Fax: 212-627-9812 Please visit our website: http://www.nycosh.org. Subscribe to our free biweekly Update on Safety and Health by sending an e-mail message to nycosh@nycosh.org NYCOSH is a non-profit provider of occupational safety and health training, advocacy and information (including technical assistance and industrial hygiene consultation) to workers and unions throughout the New York metropolitan area. Our membership consists of more than 250 union organizations and 400 individuals: union members, health and safety activists, injured workers, healthcare workers, attorneys, public health advocates, environmentalists and concerned citizens. NYCOSH is a union shop. Its staff is represented by the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union (PACE) Local 1-149. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytnyc-05.07.02-17:47:16-18089