North Shore AIR

HealthLink Highlights

1998 - present - Our participation led to landmark Massachusetts air regulations in 2001, limiting NOx, SOx, Mercury and CO₂. As the only community watchdog group, we are giving DEP the starch to hang tough with the industry.

HEARINGS AND MEETINGS

Dec 2004 - Testified at Army Corps of Engineers hearing on Cape Wind, Boston, MA.

March 2004- Testified at Citizen Hearing On EPA Proposed Power Plant Mercury Regulations, Portsmouth, NH.

Nov 2003- Testified at DEP power plant Mercury regulations public hearing.

Sept 2003 - Coal Ash Bill and Hearings. Worked for responsible disposal.

Sept 2003 - Jane Bright invited to testify at Sen. Jefford's hearing on mercury and power plants in Boston.

Spring 2003 - Meetings with plant workers at Salem Harbor Generating Station to find common ground.

March 2002 - Testified at Army Corps of Engineers hearing on Cape Wind.

Nov 2002 - Lori Ehrlich on Governor's Environmental Transition Team; Oct '03 on DEP Advisory Council.

Spring 2002 - Shareholder resolution demanding PG&E corporate responsibility got a respectable 9% vote.

Feb 2000 - present - Joined CLF's suit resulting in legal agreement that PG&E remediate wastewater storage.

July 2000 - DEP hearing on NOx and SOx limits. HealthLink brought largest turnout ever for a DEP hearing.

Spring - Fall 1998 - Negotiations with PG&E (US Gen.)

DEMONSTRATIONS & ACTIVISM

2000-present- Working with local communities to install renewable energy.

Nov 2003-present - Pesticide Awareness Campaign. Began campaign to stop ChemLawn's use of toxic chemicals on lawns and soccer fields. (see "Pesticides")

April 2002 - Washington DC with "Grandfathers against Grandfathering" petition. Met regulatory officials with neighbors of refineries. Held rally for Clean Air at Lincoln Memorial, pictured in Time magazine.

June 2001 - Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior visited Salem. HealthLink delivered demand letter to PG&E. Greenpeace activists climbed coal pile with signs "Global Warming Starts Here" and made national news.

April 2000 - Attended, spoke out at PG&E's Annual Meeting. Held Stakeholders' rally in support of regulations.

Spring 2000 - "Dead Bodies" at PG&E offices illustrated Harvard's study on effects of power plant pollution.

June 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004- "Stand for Prevention" at Salem Harbor Station to inform public.

Spring 1998, 1999 - Leafleted A Civil Action & Erin Brockovich to activate public for clean air regulations.

SPONSORED INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC FORUMS

Jan 2005 - "Land-Based, Wind Power for the North Shore," with Metropolitan Area Planning Council and UMass Renewable Energy Lab, Ipswich

Oct 2004 - "Global Warming: Local Problems, Local Solutions," with John Anderson, NE Aquarium; Sonia Hamel, MA Director of Air Policy; Bob Tina, Regional Wastewater Facility, site of anemometer; Lynn

April 2004 - "Breast Cancer- Our Health and the Environment," with Mass. Breast Cancer Coalition; Salem

March 2004 - "Cape Wind -Why Now," with Marc Rodgers, Communications Director, Cape Wind; Fara Courtney, Coastal Issues Policy Consultant; Salem

Nov 2003 -"Healthy Planet - Healthy People: Emerging Energy Technologies: Harnessing Ocean Power," with Greg Watson, MTC; Alla Weinstein, AquaEnergy; Alexander Gorlov, Gorlov Turbine; Lynn

Oct 2003 - "Mercury and our Health," Swampscott Board of Health

Oct 2003- PetLink "Our Pets - Canaries in the Coal Mine?" with Rodney Page, DVM, Cornell Univeristy & local vets; Lynn and Marblehead

Sept 2003 - "Healthy Planet - Healthy People: Emerging Energy Technologies: Wind and Solar," with Kevin Knoblock, UCS; Mike Jacobs on Wind Energy; Leslie Grossman on Photovoltaics; Lynn

Jan 2003 - "Growing up Healthy in a Toxic World," with Dr. Ted Schettler, Physicians for Social Responsibility; Salem

Nov 2002 - "The Environmental Links to Breast Cancer," with Julia Brody, Silent Spring; Salem

Oct 2002 - "The Hidden Co$t$ of Coal: From Cradle to Grave," Beverly

July 2002 - "Healthy Planet - Healthy People," Global Climate Change, Ross Gelbspan; EPA's Mandate, Eric Schaeffer, Salem.

Dec 2001 - "Wind Energy Forum," UMass Energy Renewables Lab, Cape Wind, others. Marblehead

Dec 2000 - "Intro to Renewable Energy," Salem

1998 - 2000 - Salem Harbor Station: Health Impacts. Salem, Swampscott, Marblehead, Lynn, Beverly, Manchester

LINKS TO STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES

Jan 2005 - Received Massachusetts Technology Collaborative grant to educate local communities and promote initiatives for wind power.

Fall 2003 - present- Received EPA grant of $50,000 to link high school students in Beverly, Salem and Marblehead in cooperative survey of sources of air toxins. Salem State nursing students will review health impacts.

Salem State College - Created EARTH DAY- "Linking Health and the Environment through Research, Art and Activism." Featured student research projects. Earth Day Award Recipients: 2001- Diane Dumanoski; 2002- Jan Schlichtmann, Governor Jane Swift; 2003 - Ross Gelbspan, Cindy Luppi, 2004- Dr. Jill Stein, Dr. Paul Epstein.

Winter 2002 - present- Working with BU School of Public Health to make public health studies more useful.

North Shore Community College and local high schools- Introduced Renewable Energy series forums.

Interns - Environment majors from Dartmouth College, Salem State College, local high schools.

SITE VISITS AND PUBLIC TOURS

Wind turbine visits - Princeton, MA; Hull, MA; Princeton, MA, Searsburg, VT; Denmark; and Lynn, MA - proposed site.

HEALTHLINK SPARKS

2002 - North Shore Colombia Solidarity. Focusing on human rights issues in coal mines in Columbia, S.A. which provide coal for the Salem Harbor Generating Station.

Sept 2001 - Salem Alliance For the Environment (SAFE). Focusing on reduction of greenhouse gases in Salem.

2000 - Alliance for Healthy Tomorrow Coalition. Founding member, focusing on protection of children's health. www.healthytomorrow.org