NY Sea Grant

Submitted image and press release:

New York Sea Grant, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), today announced funding is now available for projects that engage youth under the age of 21 and address local watershed challenges and New York's Great Lakes Action Agenda priorities. A total of $200,000, up to $25,000 per project, in New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants will be awarded.

As the map above shows, Genesee County is in the New York State Great Lakes Basin.

"These grants provide a unique and critical opportunity for the next generation of New York's Great Lakes stewards to become directly involved in learning about and developing smart solutions to address local watershed challenges," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. "DEC looks forward to continuing to partner with New York Sea Grant to implement the solutions that will protect and enhance the Great Lakes for generations to come."

"We are excited to see applications for innovative projects that include New York's Great Lakes' region youth in activities that will increase their awareness and knowledge of environmental and conservation issues," said New York Sea Grant Associate Director and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Assistant Director Katherine Bunting-Howarth, Ph.D., J.D., Ithaca.

Educational institutions, including, but not limited to, public and private K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, not-for-profit organizations, county and local government or public agencies, municipalities, and regional planning and environmental commissions are eligible to apply. Projects can include outdoor and in-classroom education, hands-on training, and formal and informal educational settings.

Applications are due by April 30; instructions are online here. For more information, contact New York Sea Grant at (315) 312-3042.

New York Sea Grant administers the New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program in partnership with DEC. This small grants program is funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. For more information on New York's Great Lakes Action Agenda, click here.

More information on New York Great Lakes Basin Small Grants projects and other New York Great Lakes-related information is here.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Sea Grant College Program.

Since 1971, New York Sea Grant has promoted coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness about the state's marine and Great Lakes resources. New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices in Buffalo, Newark, and Oswego. The public can connect with New York Sea Grant at this website: http://www.nyseagrant.org

Press release:

New York Sea Grant is encouraging the public to take expired, unused and unwanted pharmaceuticals to designated law enforcement agency locations on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 28.

This federally designated day for collection of waste pharmaceuticals prevents the entry of such products as antibiotics, blood pressure regulators, pain medications, tranquilizers, and hormones, into state waterways and drinking supply sources.

In Genesee County, you can drop off unwanted drugs, no questions asked, at these locations:

• Batavia Police Department, 10 W. Main St., Batavia
• Genesee County Sheriff's Office is conducting a drop-off at the Pembroke Town Highway Barn at routes 5 and 77, East Pembroke
• Village of Le Roy Police Department, 3 W. Main St., Le Roy

“Proper disposal of unused medications is critically important to protect the public drinking water supply and the Great Lakes ecosystem," said Helen Domske, New York Sea Grant Coastal Education specialist, Buffalo.

"Take Back Day sites accepting these pharmaceuticals provide easily accessible drop-off points so everyone can do their part to protect New York’s waters.”

The New York Sea Grant website has information about the impact of keeping pharmaceuticals and personal care products out of the Great Lakes and other water sources. The results of a two-year research project, funded by New York Sea Grant, to examine the effectiveness of advanced water treatment options, environmental levels, and the potential effects of pharmaceuticals in New York waters are expected later this year.

“Research is increasing our understanding of the impact of bioactive chemical substances on the aquatic food web," said Domske, who is also the associate director of the Great Lakes Program at SUNY Buffalo.

"For example, research has recently documented the presence of antidepressants and their metabolites as well as antihistamines in fish such as largemouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and steelhead trout in the Niagara River. Although researchers believe the levels do not pose a threat to humans eating the fish, they are problematic and one of the reasons we do not want people to flush medicines down the toilet or drain."

Earlier this year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced a $2 million pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back initiative that officially begins this month with pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities and other sites participating in the collection and proper disposal of the unwanted, unused pharmaceuticals. Learn more here.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Days take place twice a year, in the spring and fall. According to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, a record-setting collection of 912,305 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs took place during the Fall 2017 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

New York Sea Grant maintains Great Lakes offices at SUNY Buffalo, Wayne County Cooperative Extension in Newark, and SUNY Oswego. For updates on New York Sea Grant activities, visit this website.

About New York Sea Grant
New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Through a statewide network of integrated services, New York Sea Grant has been promoting coastal vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness of Great Lakes and marine resources since 1971.