As a physician, I am very concerned about the plans to replace some of the grass in Carmel Valley parks with artificial turf. Artificial turf is toxic to humans and the environment. One of the most commonly used artificial turf uses infill consisting of ground up old tires, which contains toxins including dangerous chemicals and lead that are loosely packed into the turf and can be easily inhaled, absorbed or eaten. These chemicals have been implicated in causing lymphoma in soccer goalies, among other health concerns. As a mother of two boys at Ocean Air Elementary school, I am particularly concerned that one of the parks to be affected is Ocean Air park. On the off chance that a selected turf may not contain these directly toxic compounds – for example some use silica for infill – it still is dangerous in other ways. It does not support our desert ecosystem. It requires regular maintenance, including frequent washing with WATER, often weekly, to keep it clean. This dirty outdoor carpet also is prone to growing bacteria, MRSA (flesh eating bacteria), mold and fungus, and for that reason it requires regular spraying with toxic antibiotic chemicals that wash off into our groundwater. It also gets very hot in direct sunlight and increases ambient temperatures and can cause burns. While I certainly understand the need to conserve water in the drought, I have unsuccessfully requested a safe and environmentally friendly option instead of toxic turf. This concerns me because I have enough patients already with devastating neurological diseases; I want to protect our kids from this. Relevant articles: "As the turf ages and weathers, lead is released in dust that could then be ingested or inhaled, and the risk for harmful exposure increases. If exposures do occur, CDC currently does not know how much lead the body will absorb; however, if enough lead is absorbed, it can cause neurological development symptoms (e.g., deficits in IQ). Additional tests are being performed by NJDHSS to help us better understand the absorption of lead from these products." -- http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/artificialturf.htm "There are now 153 cancer cases reported, and of those, 124 are soccer players with 85 being soccer goalies. Many of them are student athletes." -- http://www.ehhi.org/turf/turf_cancers.shtml "The most conservative approach would be to limit access to an artificial turf field that contains lead. Proper maintenance can reduce exposure risk. Field users should wash properly afterward and ensure that their clothing is washed." -- http://www.state.nj.us/health/news/2008/view_articlea114.html?id=3190\ "The study evidences the high content of toxic chemicals in these recycled materials. The concentration of PAHs in the commercial pavers was extremely high, reaching values up to 1%. In addition, SPME studies of the vapour phase above the samples confirm the volatilisation of many of those organic compounds. Uses of recycled rubber tires, especially those targeting play areas and other facilities for children, should be a matter of regulatory concern." -- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653512009848 "Hazardous chemicals in synthetic turf materials and their bioaccessibility in digestive fluids." -- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18728695 "Carbon black, which makes up 20-40% of crumb rubber, has been identified as a cancer-causing chemical by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment" -- www.ceh.org/get-involved/take-action/a-cocktail-of-harmful-chemicals-in-artificial-turf-infill/ “What to Know About Artificial Turf Fields.” Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center. --http://www.mountsinai.org/static_files/MSMC/Files/Patient%20Care/Children/Childrens%20Environmental%20Health%20Center/ArtTurf_Fact%20Sheet_final_2011.pdf Further Resources: http://ehhi.org/reports/turf/turf_report07.pdf http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2265067/

Western Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit, public-interest environmental law firm. We filed a lawsuit challenging the Loafer logging Project in December 2013. In April 2014, in response to WELC’s lawsuit, the Forest Service pulled its proposal, but now it’s back. We are fighting this project because it would not only impact native and endangered species in the short-term, but would preclude some of the last remaining untouched Western forests from wilderness protection.

Shell has the GREEN light and is ready to do some hefty drilling in the Arctic. Top officials from the Obama Administration say that there is a 75 percent chance of a major Arctic Oil Spill. I need your help in urging top officials with the Seattle Port, State of Oregon and United States Department of Interior. Their dangerous drilling machine is ready to leave the Seattle Port and head to the Arctic. Are you ready to make sure it doesn't go anywhere near our ocean and polar bears?

An oil company is proposing to drill in Broward County, only a few miles from the city of Miramar. This oil well would be located in the Florida Everglades and would endanger critical water resources that millions of South Florida residents rely on. This permit is one of several recent proposals to drill in the Florida Everglades. And loopholes in state law allow drilling companies to use fracking techniques to produce more oil and gas, with almost no oversight over the chemicals being injected underground. All forms of drilling and fracking (including hydraulic fracturing, acid fracturing and acid matrix stimulation) are inherently unsafe, especially in Florida where our aquifer is so vital to our livelihoods. In states across the country, the extraction of oil and gas has led to serious health and environmental issues, and communities are taking action by passing ordinances to prevent fracking. Florida state agencies are currently reviewing this drilling proposal, but the Broward County Commissioners can weigh in by passing a binding ordinance prohibiting this well and any future drilling and fracking in the county.

If Big Oil can build pipelines across the country to transport their oil, why can't we build pipelines and canals to transport water from areas of flooding (having too much water) to that of areas of drought (like California right now)? Think of all of the people who could find work building these pipelines and canals. And if there were a spill from a pipeline carrying water, it wouldn't endanger our wildlife or pollute our environment. Please sign this petition! It makes so much more sense than building oil pipelines. Thank You.

Because my daughter is worried about bears in the house.

President Obama's proposed new rule to reduce carbon pollution is exactly what we need. It's about clean air. Our children's health depends on it. It's about climate change. The planet is heating up, and we have to reverse it. It's about time. We must act before it's too late. Republicans in Congress are peddling junk science, pretending climate change isn't happening, and acting on behalf of the Koch brothers and the coal industry. Please join me in standing with President Obama -- and tell Republicans in Congress to back off. Climate change is a fact. And America must lead the way.

Sharks are threatened worldwide, largely driven by the shark fin trade. As many as 100,000,000 sharks are being killed each year. Airlines play a major role in allowing import and export of illegal, unregulated, and unreported seafood products like shark fin. Twenty-six other major air carriers have said they will not ship shark fin. Help save the world's and Malaysia's sharks by stopping this unsustainable trade.

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission is set to recommend that the Martin Drake power plant be given more time to pollute our air before determining whether it meets EPA's 2010 revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2). I created this petition to tell the Commission that the Martin Drake power plant must meet those requirements now. According to the EPA's Integrated Science Assessment for SO2, the “data are sufficient to conclude that there is a causal relationship between respiratory morbidity and short-term exposure to SO2.” Simply, even brief exposure to SO2 in the air can be harmful, hence why the EPA passed the revised 1-hour standard for SO2 emissions in 2010. Our community, especially those with respiratory illnesses, cannot afford more delays before complying with this regulation. Multiple models show that the Martin Drake power plant does not meet the 1-hour standard for SO2, and yet the Commission wants to give Colorado Springs Utilities more time to pollute the air we breathe before requiring the Utilities to take any action. Tell the Commission that enough is enough - we have enough information to determine that Martin Drake does not meet the 1-hour SO2 standard. Will you sign the petition? For more information about modelling of SO2 from Drake visit: http://tinyurl.com/SierraClubSO2 Aug. 20, 2015 CDPHE Public Hearing Notice (Amended Aug. 7): https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/SO2-Designations-PH-Notice-082015-REV_1.pdf CO AQCC Public Hearing Agenda & Comments Received: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/aqcc-meeting-materials-august-20-2015 CO Air Quality Control Division Background Information: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/061815-SO2-materials.pdf Health Impact of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) in the air from the American Lung Association: http://www.lung.org/associations/states/colorado/clean-air/Sulphur-dioxide.html

Perry Place Neighbors are joining together to stop the development of a garage in our small family oriented community. We have schools nearby and many children who play in parks near the proposed garage. Like in many other urban areas our children suffer from respiratory ailments, like asthma which will be made worse by the huge influx of cars to the proposed garage.

It’s official! The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized the president’s Clean Power Plan—the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants. The president deserves our thanks for taking the biggest step any president has yet taken on climate change. The Clean Power Plan provides a foundation for states to build on to achieve a transformational shift away from fossil fuels to clean energy. None of this would have been possible without your support. Earthjustice has been pushing hard for strong limits on carbon pollution over the past few years, and activists like you have been making climate action a top priority. From the record-breaking 8.7 million comments submitted to the EPA in support of climate action to the largest climate march in history in New York City last fall, support for climate action is simply undeniable. Power plants are America’s single largest source of carbon pollution—the pollution that’s fueling climate change, intensifying extreme weather and threatening public health. The Clean Power Plan starts us down the path to achieving real pollution reductions from this sector while pivoting to clean energy solutions to power our future. Take a moment to thank President Obama for this major action on climate change. Climate change is an undeniable threat to our health and our environment. We owe it to our kids and grandkids to support the Clean Power Plan, which lays the foundation for even greater action by every state in the country. Decisions about clean energy should be in the hands of the people, not the fossil fuel industry. The Clean Power Plan was designed to address these challenges head-on. The overwhelming support we have seen from you is making a crucial difference in spurring the most meaningful climate action by the United States to date.

Kinder Morgan is proposing a new high pressure natural gas pipeline from Wright, NY to Dracut, MA. This pipeline will create the risk of chemical leaks and explosions that would contaminate our soil, water, air, damage our properties, and create hazards in our communities. Chemical off-gassing of known carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disrupters happens at compressor stations and drilling sites, wherever pipelines are leaking. In 2011 the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration cited Kinder Morgan for a number of safety violations. The gas that will go through this pipeline will be extracted using hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) which is irrefutably linked to health problems because of the chemicals involved and the contamination to underground water supplies. In terms of natural gas and pollution, methane leaks from fracking, compressor stations, and transmission lines create more pollution than coal or oil. We are specifically concerned about the proposed gas compressor station that would be located in the Town of Nassau, NY. It would cover 40 acres and add light and noise pollution comparable to a commercial jet taking off all hours of the day and night. Although Kinder Morgan has stated this pipeline is necessary to keep prices down and provide a bridge between older fossil fuels and future renewables, mounting evidence strongly suggests this is not true. Both the Kinder Morgan website and their project pre-application letter state that some of the gas from this pipeline will be exported. Exporting can raise our fuel prices, as was observed in winter 2014 when propane was sold overseas and U.S prices soared. We the undersigned citizens call upon your leadership to enact legislation and take such necessary actions to stop the Northeast Energy Direct Project (NED) because: 1. We do not feel that constituent concerns raised in regard to the NED are being answered honestly, fully, and accurately. 2. The profits of Kinder Morgan/Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company LLC are taking precedence over the immediate and long-term safety, security, and well-being of people living along the proposed pipeline route in the following ways: a. There is no benefit of the project to New Yorkers or New York State. b. We assume health and safety risks so the NED can generate profits for their companies. c. The federal agency responsible for pipeline safety has inadequate resources to do its job. A report from the Transportation Department’s Office of the Inspector General indicates “The Federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, isn't ensuring key state inspectors are properly trained, inspections are being conducted frequently enough and inspections target the most risky pipelines”. d. Our property rights will be taken by eminent domain so that the companies can profit while we remain responsible for property tax payments. e. Our public safety officers will be unable to adequately respond to pipeline explosions. f. Our property values are likely to drastically fall. g. Our areas economic viability is likely to drastically suffer. h. We will not consume the gas, most of which is likely to be exported for the company’s profit, which in turn will drive up the cost of gas for us. 3. The NED will transmit up to 2.2 billion cubic feet of fracked gas daily, through a 30” pipeline, at a pressure of up to 1,460 pounds per square inch, and has the potential to leak toxins, carcinogens, and other hazardous chemicals that may contaminate our water wells, air, and soil. These include: a. Methane – a greenhouse gas that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found contributes to global warming. Affected Organ Systems: Dermal, Pulmonary, and Cardiovascular. b. Benzene – a colorless, sweet smelling, highly flammable chemical. It evaporates into the air very quickly and floats on top of water. Affected Organ Systems: Hematological, Immunological, and Neurological. c. Toluene – a clear, colorless liquid with a distinctive smell. It is used in making paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, and rubber. Affected Organ Systems: Cardiovascular and Neurological. d. Sulfur Dioxide – a colorless gas with a pungent odor. It is a liquid when under pressure and dissolves in water very easily. Affected Organ Systems: Immunological and Respiratory. e. Formaldehyde – a colorless flammable gas that has a distinct, pungent smell. It is used in the production of fertilizer, paper, plywood and urea-formaldehyde resins. Affected Organ Systems: Dermal, Gastrointestinal, Immunological, and Respiratory. f. Nitrous Oxide – a colorless, non-flammable gas with a slightly sweet odor and taste. Commonly used in surgery or dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. Affected Organ Systems: Pulmonary and Cardiovascular. 4. Local elected officials of the Rensselaer County Legislature oppose the project, opposing use of eminent domain and requesting intervention by federal officials. Therefore, we the undersigned, realizing the risks and costs to our families, our property values, our safety, our drinking water, our clean air, our roads, and the potential costs and stresses to our towns that will be created by the Kinder Morgan/Tennessee Gas Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline Project – which will be using fracked shale gas – do hereby state that it is our desire for our federal, state, county, and town leaders to immediately and permanently declare on our behalf that no gas compressor stations or new or additional high pressure gas pipelines of any kind shall be placed within the boundaries of our towns. Although NYS has banned fracking, allowing the pipeline and compressor stations to be built will result in the same amount of damage the legislation was designed to prevent.