As a child in New Cassel, Darinel Velasquez wondered if it was normal to grow up close to so many industrial sites.<\/p>\n
Velasquez, 27, lived with his parents and two siblings in a\u00a0room of a three-bedroom home with two other families. Within walking distance of his house, there were several manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n
A foul stench hung in the area\u2019s air that only worsened during the summer, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt smelled like construction, like somebody was breaking cement, and there was the feeling of dust in the air,\u201d Velasquez recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND\u00a0For years, residents of New Cassel have complained of environmental issues in the Nassau County hamlet. DEC studies have helped\u00a0community members gaining insight into the pollution they live with.The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in an air quality report released in February that there are higher levels of pollution of diesel and non-diesel mobile source pollutants in the hamlet\u2019s industrialized area compared with other parts of the community.Health expert\u00a0say the levels found in New Cassel are\u00a0not necessarily impact short-term health but are \u201ccertainly high enough to be causing long-term health effects.”<\/p>\n
Velasquez and many New Cassel community members are joining a decades-long chorus of concerns about how pollution from a concentration of traffic and industrial activities could impact the long-term health of the roughly 14,000 people who live in the Nassau County hamlet.<\/p>\n
The roughly 170 acres of New Cassel containing industrial sites, along with\u00a0surrounding traffic, have resulted in a cumulative level of air pollutants higher than other areas within the hamlet,\u00a0according to state monitoring. Some pollutants, which reach residents who live on the outskirts of that area,\u00a0may have long-term effects on health, experts say.<\/p>\n
From 2020 to 2022, the three-year average asthma hospitalization rate per 10,000 in a ZIP code that includes areas of New Cassel was classified as a high concern, according to the state Department of Health.<\/p>\n
Beyond the air quality, New Cassel has long faced environmental issues. Years of companies\u2019 disposal of toxic waste within the New Cassel Industrial Area have led to extensive groundwater contamination that became part of the EPA\u2019s New Cassel\/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site, documents show.<\/p>\n
The industrial and commercial area is home to at least 10 individual sites that are under the state\u2019s Superfund program, which administers their investigation and remediation, the DEC said. Public drinking water supplies the area and it is treated to help remove impurities, documents show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New Cassel is among Long Island\u2019s earliest African American communities, state officials say. Formerly enslaved people whom the Quakers freed called the area home, the DEC said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After World War II, it was a flourishing middle-class community \u2014 a place where Black and Hispanic veterans could move that would not deny them homeownership, officials said.<\/p>\n
William Bailey, senior director of New York Communities for Change\u2019s Nassau branch, said he wasn\u2019t surprised to learn about the concentration of pollution in the New Cassel area.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen firsthand how environmental racism plays out. Poor and working-class communities are left to live near these toxic sites,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pushing for cleaner air, safe housing and cooling protections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bishop Lionel Harvey, pastor of the First Baptist Cathedral of Westbury, acknowledged pollution has always been a worry in New Cassel.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want what \u2026 every human being is expected to have in these United States,\u201d Harvey said. \u201cWe want a healthy environment to be able to live in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerns over air quality<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the state Department of Environmental Conservation released numbers that show the extent of the pollution that residents have had to live with.\u00a0\u00a0An air quality report released in February indicates there are higher levels of pollution of diesel and non-diesel mobile source pollutants in the hamlet\u2019s industrialized area compared with the surrounding area.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many of those pollutants are carcinogens that, in high quantities, have short-term health impacts like exacerbating respiratory conditions like asthma and emphysema, public health experts say. In the long term, they\u00a0can be linked with lung cancer,\u00a0dementia, heart disease and developing fetuses.<\/p>\n
New Cassel\u2019s industrial area includes 10 auto body shops, three scrap metal processors and at least one vehicle dismantling facility, DEC officials said.<\/p>\n
Some businesses operating within the industrial area are polluting, the DEC said, but they are operating within \u201cregistrations and permits that allow them to release certain amounts of pollutants.\u201d<\/p>\n
The DEC maintained that the most significant factor likely contributing to the air pollution observed in the initiative was traffic volume and \u201clarge vehicles traveling to these facilities.\u201d The initiative, state officials said, primarily focused on street-level pollution.<\/p>\n
Among the businesses in the industrial zone are several auto parts recyclers that bring truck traffic to the area.\u00a0 \u00a0Vince Edivan, executive director of the Automotive Recyclers Association, said in an email that \u201cautomotive recycling provides tangible environmental and community benefits that far outweigh the impact of truck traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes our industry unique is that every truckload into a recycler helps prevent far greater emissions from new parts production \u2014 making automotive recycling a vital part of the solution to pollution and climate challenges, not the cause,\u201d Edivan said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ken Spaeth, chief of Northwell Health\u2019s Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said these rates will not necessarily impact short-term health but are \u201ccertainly high enough to be causing long-term health effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is certainly not a crisis level, or it’s not likely to result in, and of itself, in \u2026 any kind of immediate intervention,\u201d he said in a phone interview. \u201cBut I think if, you know, we’re really looking at what the \u2026 scientific data tells us about these levels, there is an increased risk of these health effects.\u201d<\/p>\n
Residents asking questions<\/p>\n
Health concerns have prompted residents to ask\u00a0questions about how to control the source of many of these pollutants: high traffic, railroads, and industrial operations.<\/p>\n
Nassau Legis. Olena Nicks, a Democrat whose district includes portions of Hempstead, New Cassel and Westbury \u2014 some of the areas that were part of the state’s air quality monitoring initiative \u2014 said residents have been advocating for town boards to study\u00a0how traffic flows through their neighborhoods and what businesses are being allowed to enter their communities, bringing traffic-related pollution with them.<\/p>\n
Nicks said constituents question the overabundance of businesses that they believe don\u2019t benefit residents that much. She said that she doesn\u2019t want to stop the growth of a small business, but added that \u201cwe have to be diligent and strategic about what we’re allowing [to] come in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see how detrimental\u00a0it is when we just allow certain businesses to come in, and we need to hold them to standards,\u201d said Nicks, who said she\u2019s hoping to form a task force this year to understand the pollution issue in the community and make legislative recommendations.<\/p>\n
A legacy of pollution<\/p>\n
The DEC\u00a0said\u00a0that air quality has improved in many areas of the state due to air pollution controls. But New Cassel\u00a0and some other disadvantaged communities \u2014 a\u00a0criterion used to identify areas that have faced the weight of pollution, climate change, and have \u201ccertain socioeconomic criteria\u201d \u2014 are still dealing with the legacy of pollution, officials said.<\/p>\n
Places like New Cassel are “still experiencing cumulative impacts from higher pollution levels and other negative quality of life affects such as noise and odors due to living closely to traffic, goods movement, waste management, and multiple industrial and commercial sources,\u201d the DEC said.<\/p>\n
Air pollution monitoring of New Cassel was completed under the state\u2019s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This climate change-driven law seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the greater use of renewable energy. The law also focuses on helping disadvantaged communities move toward a climate-friendly economy.<\/p>\n
The air quality monitoring was conducted between 2022 and 2023 in 10 communities across the state, including parts of lower Westchester, New York City, Syracuse, as well as parts of Westbury, New Cassel, Roosevelt, Hempstead and Uniondale on Long Island, officials said.<\/p>\n
Vehicles outfitted with air sensors drove on public streets at least 20 times, at different times of day throughout the year, officials said.<\/p>\n
For Hempstead Village, Uniondale, Roosevelt, increased pollution was found on several\u00a0primary roads and places like Northern and Southern State parkways. It was also found along roads, including West Roosevelt Avenue, as part of the initiative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pollutants around homes, school, businesses<\/p>\n
In New Cassel, the initiative found levels of pollutants, including particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) were found in higher concentrations around its industrial area, according to the state\u2019s report.<\/p>\n
Most of the New Cassel population lives outside of the industrial area, but some of the pollution shown in the report spilled into places where there were homes and at least one school, Newsday reported.<\/p>\n
Experts say particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) is among the most harmful of the pollutants. It consists of small particles like soot and smoke, which can get deep into the lungs and exacerbate conditions such as asthma and throat irritation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.<\/p>\n
Being around PM2.5 has been linked with respiratory, cardiovascular, death and other issues, state officials said.<\/p>\n
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards\u2019 health-based benchmark for PM2.5 annually was nine micrograms per cubic meter.<\/p>\n
In one New Cassel focus spot that spans several blocks, the median PM2.5 level was 8.12, about 40% above common values in the area.<\/p>\n
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Community Air Monitoring Initiative 2022\u20132023.<\/p>\n
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards put the more stringent PM 2.5 gauge into place last year to protect millions from \u201charmful and costly health impacts, such as heart attacks and premature death,\u201d said the Environmental Protection Agency on its website.<\/p>\n
Spaeth noted that the data and consensus in the scientific community recommend that the levels be lower than the EPA\u2019s recent threshold, with most in the health care community pushing for the World Health Organization\u2019s rate that annual average concentrations are not higher than five micrograms per cubic meter.<\/p>\n
Work to be done<\/p>\n
In the 1950s, development began popping up on what would become the New Cassel Industrial Area, which emanated groundwater contamination in an area that became part of New Cassel\/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site.<\/p>\n
Companies in the area had been disposing of hazardous materials such as tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), environmental regulators said.\u00a0Extensive groundwater contamination was found in the \u201880s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today, eight sites within the New Cassel Industrial Area are considered to be Class 2 state Superfund sites, meaning that they represent a \u201csignificant threat to public health and\/or the environment and requiring action,\u201d the DEC said. Another four sites are considered to be Class 4, denoting that the site was closed correctly but \u201crequires continued management.\u201d<\/p>\n
The New Cassel\/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site covers roughly 6.5 miles within North Hempstead, Hempstead, and Oyster Bay towns, the EPA said in a record of decision. The groundwater there had been polluted with contaminants such as volatile organic compounds, the EPA said.<\/p>\n
A final clean plan was laid out for a section of the New Cassel\/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site and \u201ccalls for installing a network of wells and underground pipes\u201d in Salisbury \u201cto collect and move contaminated groundwater to a new water treatment facility,\u201d the EPA said in a 2024 news release.<\/p>\n
Amid the changing environment, members of the community expressed concern\u00a0about the quality of life there, including the groundwater and odors emanating from the industrial area, according to Newsday archives and Harvey, who played a key role in the redevelopment of the area.<\/p>\n
By the 2000s, revitalization of the hamlet was underway with the development of efforts like the “Yes We Can” Community Center\u00a0and\u00a0affordable housing, among other activities, Newsday archives note.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, Harvey\u00a0said it\u2019s time to continue focusing on the environment in New Cassel, a place that he describes as a diverse, thriving community.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, the reality is, we made great progress, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Growing up with fumes<\/p>\n
Community fears expressed to the DEC have focused on \u201cair pollution from trains, large vehicles traveling to waste transfer and recycling facilities, and traffic,\u201d particularly around Dryden Street Elementary School, the DEC said.<\/p>\n
Velasquez has similar memories of going to Dryden Street Elementary School. He mentioned that his school bus passed waste-processing operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we would be on the buses going to school and pass by those areas, we would hold our breaths,\u201d Velasquez recalled.<\/p>\n
The Westbury Union Free School District did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
To improve air quality, public health experts say that there needs to be a partnership between industry and regulators.<\/p>\n
The DEC said that it is working toward recommending \u201cair pollution reduction strategies and identifying]\u00a0the entities responsible for implementing the strategies\u201d in New Cassel and other disadvantaged communities. The DEC is working with its Community Advisory Committees that are composed of residents and\u00a0civic leaders, as well as state agencies, and other partners to help make recommendations, officials said.<\/p>\n
Funding for some of the possible changes could come from sources like the Environmental Bond Act, which sets aside at least $200 million to minimize certain types of air and water pollution in disadvantaged communities, state officials said.<\/p>\n
Other recommendations could include more air monitoring, as well as more facility inspections, and enforcement, the DEC said.<\/p>\n
Espoir Youth Programs, a nonprofit with an office in New Cassel\u2019s industrial area, was started in 2012 with the intent to provide educational services for children in North Hempstead, the county and abroad. Espoir is a French word meaning hope.<\/p>\n
It aims to support families in addressing social issues through its food pantry, counseling, and other programming, said Samarth Joseph, who is the executive director of the nonprofit.<\/p>\n
But the organization holds its programming strictly within its office, away from the traffic, where there is better\u00a0air quality for staff and children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe air quality definitely can be better,\u201d she said in a phone interview, citing nearby manufacturing activities.<\/p>\n
Joseph said everyone must play a role in improving air quality in the community, including businesses that support the local workforce, leaders and residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want to make sure that our environment is clean, our environment is OK,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, we all can play a role to achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a child in New Cassel, Darinel Velasquez wondered if it was normal to grow up close to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":118468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[192,34965,3475,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-118467","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-environment-and-nature","10":"tag-nassau","11":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}