Rochester Environmental Facts 

RochesterEnvironment.com

 Depending on the source and the time of an environmental fact one can get a feel of how healthy our environment is around Rochester, NY.    

Page Contents: The State of Rochester's Environment | Facts from various sources on Rochester, NY's environment

 


Discussions

What is the state of our environment?

  • The State of Rochester’s Environment 2009 Summing up the year in a variety of ways (best films, biggest stories, funniest incidents, most tragic, etc.) has become such a tradition in the media at the end of the year that we expect it. It’s fashionable. (Not that this sort of thing is necessary, for has anyone actually forgotten the rotten economy and all the awful wars?) So as long as we are counting our chickens this New Year anyways, why not have a wrap-up about something useful, like the state of our environment? This kind of rundown does matter. We won’t have any more ‘best films’ or ‘most awkward moments’ for the year if our environment crashes.  more...
  • Interesting article, but it has its delusional aspects:  Interesting article, but it has its delusional aspects: Rochester ranks 7th among clean cities - The Rochester area is one of the cleanest cities in the United States, according to a Readers Digest analysis of the 50 largest cities in the country. Rochester scored seventh cleanest, Buffalo was third, and Portland, Ore., won the top spot. Chicago was the dirtiest. Edward J. Doherty, Rochester's commissioner of environmental service, was pleased that the review looked at a variety of categories rather than focusing on just one that could provide a misleading picture. (June 23, 2005) Democrat & Chronicle more...

The State of Rochester's Environment

Over the years I have accumulated many factual statements made by various media about the state of Rochester's environmental health. 

 

Facts from various sources on Rochester, NY's Environment. 

  1. Rochester, NY is 75th Worst of 100 U.S. Cities For Asthma.  Get the report:  http://www.asthmacapitals.com/asthma_capitals2006.pdf - Sources: Asthma and Allergy Foundation, “2006 Asthma Capitals -- The Most Challenging Places to Live with Asthma.”
  2. Rochester had a subway system. Where was it?  It was here: Rochester Abandoned Subway - Google Maps
  3. In Rochester, the average January-February temperature for the 1970s was about 22 degrees; the average temperature for the same time period for 2000-2006 was a little over 25 degrees, according to National Weather Service data.  (March 9, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
  4. 89 spots in Monroe County that have been contaminated by methyl tertiary butyl ether, a gasoline additive and potential carcinogen. To view maps of toxic sites, including MTBE contaminated areas, in towns throughout Monroe County, go to www.toxicstargeting.com/toxicmaps/monroe/monroe_maps.htm -- Democrat and Chronicle
  5. There are about 900 known hazardous waste sites in New York, along with 90 federal Superfund sites. A quarter of the state's population lives near waste sites associated with PCBs and other persistent organic pollutants. -- March 27, 2005 Democrat and Chronicle
  6. In Monroe County, 20 towns spread 39,150 tons of road salt in the 2003-2004 winter season. -- March 13, 2005 Democrat and Chronicle
  7. The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. (June 23, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
  8. Constellation Energy took ownership of the [Gina] nation's longest-running nuclear plant from Rochester Gas and Electric, which first put the plant on line in Wayne County in 1969.Public NewsRoom
  9. Rochester is the 43rd-worst metropolitan area in the nation for air quality, according to a national report released by a nonprofit organization Wednesday. Clear the Air, based in Washington, D.C., released a report, “Dirty Air, Dirty Power,” linking health problems to areas near older, coal-burning power plants. Rochester was 43rd out of 352 metro areas. (June 11, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle  Check out Clear The Air - Power Plant Air Pollution Locater from Clear The Air
  10. Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning  The number of children who have high levels of lead in their blood is decreasing. Monroe County Health Director Andrew Doniger released the results of a new lead poisoning study Thursday. The report shows the county has made progress in educating the public about the dangers of lead poisoning. More children are also getting tested. May. 20 -MSNBC - News Front Page
  11. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the Rochester region is failing to meet new health standards for ground level ozone pollution. As a result, motorists in the Rochester area may be forced to buy reformulated gasoline which costs more per gallon. (April 17, 2004) Public NewsRoom
  12. There are two laws making it illegal to feed deer in New York. One is to protect against the spread of chronic wasting disease which is similar to mad cow disease. The other prohibits feeding deer within 300 feet of a highway and is aimed at preventing deer car accidents.  (March 26, 2004) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
  13. City has Bar Coded Trash Bins - Rochester is taking technology to the trash. It says it is the first city in the world to use bar coded trashcans, a move it says will save money in the long haul.
  14. Rochester fails EPA ozone test -— For the first time, federal regulators have given four new state regions failing grades for ozone. Rochester is one; the others are Jamestown, Syracuse and Albany. Other regions, including Buffalo and New York City, have historically gotten failing grades for high levels of ozone. Though beneficial in the upper atmosphere, ozone at ground level contributes to smog and exacerbates respiratory illnesses.  (December 5, 2003)  Democrat and Chronicle
  15. The city of Rochester also has a tree advisory committee that overlooks the 60,000 city trees, said City Forester Ian Nadar.  Democrat and Chronicle
  16. High male cancer here probed —Tthe incidence of prostate cancer in Monroe County is 31 percent higher than the state average. State health officials first reported the anomaly in 2001. The data showed that 577 men in Monroe County are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, or about 196 cases per 100,000. Statewide, the incidence rate is significantly lower: 150 per 100,000.  (September 12, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
  17. 'Some studies have placed Rochester among the 10 U.S. cities with the worst lead problems.'  (June 8, 2003)  Democrat and Chronicle
  18. Monroe and Wayne counties cited in Lung Association survey Almost half of U.S. residents live in areas with unhealthy amounts of ozone, the ground-hugging pollutant that contributes to respiratory disease. That’s according to a new American Lung Association report, “State of the Air: 2003.” The report, a state-by-state look (available online at www.lungusa.org), comes on the eve of White House provisions that would weaken the Clean Air Act, the group said. “State of the Air” also ranks U.S. counties where ozone pollution -- measured by “high ozone days” -- is significant. Monroe County was one of 18 New York counties to receiv Democrat & Chronicle: High male cancer here probed — A local researcher is trying to find out why the incidence of prostate cancer in Monroe County is 31 percent higher than the state average. State health officials first reported the anomaly in 2001. The data showed that 577 men in Monroe County are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, or about 196 cases per 100,000. Statewide, the incidence rate is significantly lower: 150 per 100,000.  (September 12, 2003) Democrat and Chroniclee a grade of “F” -- worse than last year, when the county received a “D.” (May 1, 2003) Democrat and Chronicle
  19. Monroe County lost 51,570 acres of farmland to development in the last 20 years -- an amount that surpasses the areas of Greece, Gates and Brighton combined and encompasses more than 80 square miles. --American Farmland Trust
  20. Rochester ranks 12th in the nation: The Sprawl Index - Rochester, NY Overall Sprawl Index Score: 77.93 - ranking it 12th most sprawling of 83 metro areas measured. Read the report: MEASURING SPRAWL AND ITS IMPACT The Character & Consequences of Metropolitan Expansion --From Smart Growth America
  21. (January 23, 2003) — Rochester is No. 1 in the nation for releases of cancer-causing industrial chemicals, according to a new analysis of 13 years of data on such materials. --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  22. " A report from the New York Public Interest Research Group says just over one in three Monroe County residents lives within a mile of a Superfund toxic waste site. That's worse than the statewide average, which NYPIRG says is nearly one out of four New Yorkers." Public NewsRoom
  23. "On a typical day, Rochester's lawns, manufacturing plants and thirsty throats suck 35 million gallons of water from Canadice and, primarily, Hemlock lakes."-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  24. "In Monroe County, about 60,000 people -- 8 percent of the population -- rely on wells for drinking water." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  25. "In Monroe County, 48 contaminated sites are without funding, according to the DEC."  -- March 13, 2002   -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  26. "Lake Ontario is ringed by 16 commercial nuclear reactors -- 12 in Canada and four in upstate New York. That's the greatest concentration of nuclear power in North America -- and it's all within 100 miles of Rochester" -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  27. "As of 1998, 5,903 active gas wells and 579 inactive wells could be found in 21 counties in New York state, including Ontario, Wayne and Yates counties, according to the DEC." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  28. "Roughly 870 tons per year of sediments that are loaded with pollutants flow from the eroded banks in Ontario County and into streams and eventually lakes, DeNee said. "That negatively affects water quality, which in turn affects the ecology of the water," she said." --Daily Messenger
  29. "The Great Lakes span 750 miles. They contain enough water to fill a trench a mile high, a mile wide and 5,500 miles long."-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  30. "Monroe County has 12,000 acres set aside for its parks system." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  31. "Once nearly wiped out by the effects of toxic chemicals, the large, fish-eating birds have made a comeback in the region. There were an estimated 10 pairs of nesting Cormorants on Lake Ontario in the early 1970s. There are now some 38,000 pairs through the Great Lakes." Daily Messenger
  32. "Originally found in the mountainous Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian seas, giant hogweed was introduced to Europe early in the 20th century as an ornamental plant. By the 1970s, the plant was spreading rapidly in Great Britain. How it ended up in central and western New York is unknown." -- Daily Messenger
  33. "The Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County at Lollypop Farm reports that it receives more than 1,000 calls a year about other types of animal abuse and neglect -- animals not given enough food, water, shelter or medical attention." --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  34. "The city has about 70,000 trees in its computerized data base, on streets, in city parks and cemeteries and on vacant land." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  35. "New York power plants emitted nearly 314,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 102,000 tons of nitrogen oxide in 1998. Some of that fell as acid rain on the Adirondacks." IknowRochester.com
  36. ""In the past three years both Monroe and Wayne Counties have received failing grades for air quality from the American Lung Association when ranking the entire ozone season as a whole."-WHEC
  37. "In the last 10 years, buyers of New York wheat has decreased more than 50-percent." --RNews
  38. "There are believed to be more moose in New York now than at any other time since the Civil War." Daily Gazette
  39. "Last year [200], the Humane Society at Lollypop Farm took in 1,800 stray cats and 5,400 cats that were surrendered by owners. Of that number, 3,127 were euthanized."---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  40. " New York industries released 61.9 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the state's air and water in 1999, according to a study released Wednesday by the federal Environmental Protection Agency." Times Union 
  41. "The DEC estimates that there are over 200,000 resident geese in the state." --Canandaigua.com
  42. " Sharpshooters and bow hunters killed a total of 104 deer in three weeks in Durand Eastman Park." (2001) -WHEC
  43. "Monroe County's population grew by 3 percent between 1990 and 2000, census numbers released Thursday show." --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  44. "Last winter, roads within the watershed area were treated with 10,145 tons of salt, according to the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Task Force. That’s an increase of nearly 1,800 tons from the 8,358 used during the winter of 1998-99. In 1997-98, 7,336 tons were used. In 1996-97, 7,184 tons were used." Daily Messenger
  45. "The state Department of Environmental Conservation estimated that hunters took 295,000 deer last year [2000], an increase from 256,000 in 1999. Of last season’s total, 141,000 were bucks and 154,000 were antlerless deer." Daily Messenger
  46. "The [Monroe] county now incinerates the 100,000 tons of sludge a year processed at the VanLare plant, along with most of the 25,000 tons of sludge handled at the Northwest Quadrant Plant." ----DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  47. "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says the 2000 deer hunting season totals set a new record. DEC wildlife experts estimate that hunters took approximately 295,000 deer in the 2000 season, an increase from 256,000 in 1999." WHEC
  48. "In the past 28 years, the city of Rochester has lost one-third of its population, Lowenstein said. Meanwhile, Ontario County is growing." --Daily Messenger
  49. "We [New York State] lead the country in West Nile," she said. "But we lead the country in rabies, too." ----DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  50. "Hunters from across the state reportedly killed 4,145 turkeys last year [2000], compared to 8,078 turkeys in 1999 — the third highest fall take on record." Daily Messenger
  51. "More than eight-hundred deer have been killed [deer population in Durand Eastman Park] since Bait and Shoot began nine years ago." -- WHEC
  52. "Children who do suffer from lead poisoning can suffer from brain damage, decreased I-Q scores, aggression and a loss of hearing." --RNews.
  53. "There are an estimated 5,900 homeless people here [Monroe County], 600 of whom are 20 years old or younger." --DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  54. "Some 350 bald eagles were reported wintering in the region this year [2000], a 43 percent increase over last year's count of 244 eagles, according to data provided by the Endangered Species Unit of the state Department of Environmental Conservation."  --Daily Messenger
  55. "The total number of West Nile Virus positive specimens from New York State for this year [2000] are 1,271 dead birds, 360 mosquito pools, 2 sentinel chickens, 8 live wild birds, 2 bats, 28 horses, 1 domestic rabbit, 1 squirrel, 1 chipmunk, and 14 humans cases." NYS Dept. of Health 
  56. "According to city records, 286 people suffered dog bites in the city in the first 10 months of this year. The city captured more than 2,700 stray dogs in 1999." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  57. "Road salt -- otherwise known as sodium chloride -- can give roadside plants and trees a beating. It can also cause chemical damage to roads, bridge decks, vehicles and water supplies. Impurities in road salt -- mined as is from the Earth, crushed, screened and treated with anti-caking agents -- typically include lead, sulphur, arsenic and cyanide." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  58. "The number of second-tier violations, which pose a potential substantial threat to public health or the environment, rose 18 percent from 157 to 185." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  59. "Lagging water levels and disappearing pine trees are among possible results of climate change in the Great Lakes region by the end of the century, scientists say." --Daily Messenger
  60. "According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation, New York state has 18.6 million acres of forest — 80 percent of which is privately owned." --Daily Messenger
  61. "A recent University of Rochester study linked high rates of Parkinson's disease to two common agricultural pesticides, manab and paraquat." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  62. "Pesticide use in Monroe County is sixth highest among New York's 62 counties, according to a recent report." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  63. "In its 1992 report, Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All Communities, EPA found that minority and
    low-income populations may experience higher than average exposure to toxic pollutants than the general
    population."
  64. "Genetic modifications affect an estimated 70 percent of processed groceries, few of which are labeled." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  65. "An average of 6 car-deer accidents occur every day during this time of year in Ontario County: -- The Town Crier.
  66. "Nearly one in seven children tested in Monroe County have elevated levels of lead in their blood." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  67. "Motor vehicles on New York roads killed 10,482 deer in 1999, with most accidents occurring during the October-to-December deer breeding season, according to state Department of Environmental Conservation records released Thursday." Albany Times Union.
  68. "The report [ a report released by Environmental Advocates ]said that roughly 80 percent of the 4.5 million gallons and 29.4 million pounds of pesticides used in New York in 1998 were applied by exterminators and lawn-care companies -- a contrast to what happens in other areas of the country. Nationwide, 77 percent of all pesticides are used on farms." -- Times Union
  69. "...of the state's 62 counties, Monroe ranks ninth among those suffering the greatest public health impact from such plant pollution, including deaths, asthma attacks and lost work days." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  70. "Fish from the Great Lakes are unsafe to eat, a U.S.-Canadian advisory board announced in a recent report.' --Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club
  71. "It is estimated that two out of five children in the city of Rochester are affected by lead poisoning." (September 27, 2000) RochesterToday
  72. "Last year [1999], 9,000 volunteers cleaned up 258,000 pounds of debris at 318 beaches in New York state." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  73. "Though the few local municipalities that sell their recyclables collect $10 per ton for most items, Monroe County gets at least $30 a ton just for newspapers." --Buffalo News. 
  74. "Not everyone infected with the West Nile virus shows symptoms, but others suffer from flu-like illnesses. West Nile can also cause encephalitis, a swelling of the brain." -Finger Lakes Times
  75. "West Nile virus made its first appearance in North America last year in the New York City area." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  76. "The fast ferry was selected as the most important project for the county's future when poll respondents were asked to choose among the four proposals." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  77. "There are no known populations of wolves in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, but the region has land suitable for the animals." TimesUnion.com
  78. "Purple loosestrife sends beautiful, purple-pink blossoms skyward in a tapering cone, but to ecologists it is the botanical equivalent of the zebra mussel, driving out native vegetation and degrading wetland habitat." --BuffaloNews.com
  79. "A recent national study has found drivers who try to beat red lights kill more than 800 people a year and injure another 200,000." --RochesterToday.com 
  80. "There are about 750,000 deer in the state, according to state wildlife officials." --Times Herald Record
  81. "Kodak's releases into the Rochester area's air, water and land totaled 5.2 million pounds last [1999] year. The total has fallen 75 percent since 1987, the first year for which reports were required." ---DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  82. "Mayflies are a welcome sign that Lake Erie is alive and well. When Lake Erie was dead, a victim of heavy pollution starting in the 1950s and 1960s, they couldn't survive in the lake's oxygen-depleted bottom."  --Buffalo News.
  83. "Pit bulls accounted for 125 (36 percent) of the 349 dog bites reported in the city last year. The number of pit bull bites has tripled since 1995." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  84. "Among the state's elementary, middle, and high schools, 87 percent use pesticides. Only 33 percent provide prior notice of pesticide spraying."  -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  85. "The EPA review of 1,062 coastal beaches and the Great Lakes showed that in 1998, 350 had an advisory or closing." --Enn.com
  86. "Unlike chemical contamination, biotech contamination is irreversible." Rachels.org
  87. "In 1999, 128 children in Monroe County tested positive for levels of 20 micrograms or higher 9of lead poisoning]-- the point at which the CDC recommends medical evaluation and inspection of houses to identify and stop lead sources." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  88. "Rochester's 14611 community was recently ranked fourth in New York State among zip codes having high cases of lead poisoning." -5/09/00-RNews.com
  89. "Sixty-nine percent of the increase in driving from 1983 to 1990 [ in the 22 major metro areas of the US] was due to factors influenced by sprawl, such as longer car trips and a switch to driving from walking or transit. Population growth itself was only responsible for 13 percent of the growth in driving." --From the Surface Transportation Policy Institute (www.transact.org) 
  90. "Environmental crimes include hazardous waste handling, oil spills, safety violations and unsafe working conditions. The State Department of Environmental Conservation says more than $7.5 million was paid out in penalties last year." -04/22/00  RochesterToday
  91. "Most of the year, about one-quarter of the 2,800 Adirondack lakes have a pH level below 5.0, which means they can't support fish." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  92. "Of the millions of boats and personal watercraft nationwide, 90 percent run on two-stroke engines, said Larry Lambrose, executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Personal Watercraft Industry Association. The two-stroke engine is less complex than a four-stroke car engine but far more polluting because more unignited gases escape. -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  93. The Health Department says 19 animals tested positive for rabies in Monroe County last spring, it anticipates an equal number this year. 4/05/00-- RNews
  94. " As [Mayor] Johnson says, the region's population has grown by only 4 percent in the past forty years.  But, the amount of land we've developed has grown by 80 percent." --from Mary Anna Towler, in City--Rochester's alternative newsweekly. 
  95. "The EPA estimates that about three million people still dispose of their trash by burning." 
  96. "Bait and shoot had its lowest kill season last year with 56 deer taken, bringing the total for the program to 768 deer culled." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
  97. "New York had 226,720 farms in 1900. Today there are 38,000, an 83 percent drop." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  98. "Of all 11 Finger Lakes, only Skaneateles' water is pure enough to be drunk as is."-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  99. (Dec. 19, 1999) -- Irondequoit bow hunting season ended last week with 77 deer killed -- 21 more than were taken this year 99 during Monroe County's annual bait-and-shoot program in Durand-Eastman Park.-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  100. 'Rochester has set aside $4 million for this season's "snowfight." It will use an average 25,000 tons of salt on roadways."  --RochesterToday.com
  101. "Local animal control officers took 1,600 pit bulls off the streets last year; most suffered injuries from fighting."  --RochesterToday.com
  102. "Last year, 32.6 million real [Christmas] trees were sold across the country. That
    number is expected to exceed 33 million this year." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  103. "State Police Troop T Major Robert Anslow noted that 43 percent of the 1,008 vehicle-deer accidents reported on the Thruway last year occurred in October and November. During the second weekend of November 1999, 32 vehicle-deer accidents took place on the 641-mile superhighway system." Over the past 10 years, Monroe County's population increased by one-half of one percent." from THRUWAY URGES MOTORISTS TO BE AWARE OF DEER CROSSING--New York Thruway Authority News.  while the total of vehicle miles driven each day increased by 21% -- an astounding 42:1 ratio. This translates to an additional 3000 miles per  family spent in the car each year." Smart Growth: "Envisioning the Possibilities" by Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr.
  104. "The city allocates $4 million to its snow and ice control budget, which includes salaries; overtime; contractors -- 30 for roadways, some with more than one route, 20 for 58 sidewalk routes and three other special contracts for heavy equipment; salt (last winter, 21,400 tons at $28 per ton); truck operation; and equipment maintenance." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  105. 'In 1997, there were only 480 farms on 103,097 acres of land in Monroe County, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Those figures are down from 5,971 farms on 385,296 acres in 1910." --Henrietta Post.
  106. "Rochester is the most livable city in New York, according to an almanac's ranking of the 354 metro areas in the United States and Canada."-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  107. "Opening day is a bad dream for whitetails as many of the 700,000 hunters who are licensed to kill in New York take off from work and school in pursuit of venison." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  108. "Despite only a one percent population growth from 1970 to 1990 in Monroe County, we have seen the doubling of our land use with a subsequent increase in local taxes over the same time period." The Smart Growth Coalition
  109. "State law only allows six and half gallons of gasoline in storage." --from Y2K Gas Hoarding. Fire marshals throughout the state are warning people of the dangers of storing gasoline for Y2K. --10/22/99--TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
  110. "New York state exceeded safe ozone concentrations at 211 sites over 38 days this summer, including seven days in Rochester, according to a study released yesterday by environmental and health groups." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  111. "There are more than 100 inactive hazardous waste sites in our area identified by the DEC." --RochesterToday.com
  112. "Rochester is now the 79th-largest city in the nation, down 13 spots since 1990."--Rochester population falls 5.8% Local official cites suburban migration; Buffalo, Syracuse drop more dramatically -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  113. "The Genesee, one of the few northward-flowing rivers in the United States, begins as a trickle in Gold, Pa"-DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  114. "Hard-to-measure sources of pollution -- the runoff from farms, rooftops and streets -- cause an estimated 93 percent of the water quality problems in the Genesee, according to DEC estimates." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  115. "The sources of Rochester's primary water supply: Hemlock and Canadice lakes, 28 miles south of the city in Livingston and Ontario counties. The city pays rural communities $1.1 million a year for use of conduit-route land."  -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  116. "There are three reservoirs, in Rush, Cobbs Hill Park and Highland Park. Rush and Highland reservoirs were built in 1875; Cobbs Hill in 1906." -DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE Digital
  117. "RG&E's nuclear power plant, constructed in 1969, is in the last decade of its 40-year life span."-Yahoo Finance
  118. The Genesee River gets the distinction of being #2 in this criteria: "Top polluters directly discharging cancer-causing chemicals to U.S. waters (1992-1996),"according to 'Troubled Waters: A Report on Toxic Releases into America’s Waterways", September 10, 1998, (page 53) by U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG)
  119. "Last year [1998] Monroe County reported almost 500 deer-car collisions."--10/21/99--TOP NEWS From WHEC, and MSNBC
  120. "The DEC estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 bears live in New York, with most — 4,000 to 5,000 — in the Adirondack region." -  (July 14, 08)Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York