Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske

By Mark Pinsley, Township Commissioner, South Whitehall, PA

We know that the science of climate change is undeniable. We can see social justice issues that need major modification. While we may march in Washington, D.C. and on the streets in Harrisburg to fight these concerns, there are people with more money and power who have a strong influence in these political realms. How do we, everyday individuals, create change? You may not realize that to exercise your power you don’t have to travel far to make changes in our state -- we can support these political issues in our own backyards.

Many of the environmental issues that plague our local areas can be fought simply by meeting with local government leaders and council officials. When I say local, I mean your county, township or city officials. You can make a powerful difference simply by speaking up at local government meetings. For example, the town of Narberth, a small borough outside of Philadelphia that bodes approximately 4,300 people, became the first town in our state last year to ban plastic straws and place a fee on plastic bags. How did the residents of Narberth help our environment? They fought locally by working with their borough council. On October 17, 2018, the Narberth Borough council unanimously voted to enact legislation regulating single-use plastics, which bans plastic straws and places a 10-cent fee on plastic shopping bags (Feltman, 2018).

Why is this important? It provides a template for other Pennsylvania municipalities to achieve the same kind of legislation. It demonstrates what people can accomplish at the local level. Now, we know that marching on Harrisburg or D.C. can feel like you are among hundreds, or maybe even thousands of people that support these issues and have your same passion. You can feel the energy around you, and when you are dealing with your local town or county, it is hard to experience that same feeling. But, you can actually reach your elected officials more easily on a local level. You can call them and speak with them – and have them listen to your thoughts. Then, if you can find a few other like-minded people, you can put even more pressure on the elected officials in your town, far more easily than you can in Harrisburg or D.C. This is how Narberth residents fought to ban plastic straws; they fought locally.

Using plastic straws, however, isn’t the only environmental problem in our state; we need to also be aware of what we are drinking through those straws. A recent study found that 43 states, including Pennsylvania, have areas in which the water is contaminated with industrial PFAS chemicals. These chemicals have been linked to birth defects, cancers, and infertility (Pascus, 2019), and may have contaminated the drinking water for up to 110 million Americans (“PFAS Contamination,” 2019).

If your town has a military base, airport, or fire department, you should contact them and see if they use aqueous firefighting foams that may contain PFAS (used by many civilian and military firefighters). If your town has a local fire department, you should ask them immediately if the foam they use to fight fires contains these harmful compounds. What are their training policies for fighting fires safely? You can work with these departments and your local government officials to create an ordinance or get bills passed that forbid the use of these harmful chemicals that taint our water?

A contamination site has already been discovered at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Franklin County due to the storing of these firefighting foams, and other contamination sites are being uncovered near Harrisburg, Allentown, and Philadelphia (“PFAS Contamination,” 2019). This is the water you and your family are drinking, the water that comes right out of your tap. Your voice matters.

There are numerous bills on our own state level that are working to fight for the environment, but fighting on the state level takes time; fighting on the local level gets things done. Start to develop some friends in your town that agree with your points. Contact your elected or appointed officials through email, phone, or in person. Be prepared and keep your communication simple and to the point. Clearly indicate the issue you are raising and your position on that issue.

There are many issues that you can fight in your hometown:

• Inclusionary Zoning
• Riparian buffers
• Floodplain Infrastructure
• Green stormwater management
• Walkability
• Composting
• Garbage collection and disposal
• Review and modify police “use of force” policies

This is just a small sample of things that you can work on in your town and your county. You can fight these important concerns by setting up a meeting with a local official or attending town meetings.

That is exactly what Narberth residents did and they made impressive changes at their local level to help the environment. The policy changes in Narberth are a small step to helping the bigger issue of what scientists estimate are 7.5 million straws polluting the U.S. shorelines, 8 million metric tons of plastic that litter our oceans each year, and the 19 million people exposed to contaminated drinking water (Langone, 2018; Pascus, 2019).

Don’t ignore the politics in your own hometown – call your town manager and talk to them about your concerns. Go to your next township meeting. You will see how poorly attended they are, and that lack of attendance means your voice can be heard. Set up a meeting with your county or town officials. A small group of local residents are just as powerful as a large group at our state capitol or at the White House. These small opportunities will create a healthier, cleaner environment for everyone.

References:
Feltman, R. (September 9, 2018). Plastic straws are little, but they are part of a huge problem. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/plastic-straws-are-little-but-they-are-part-of-a-huge-problem/2018/09/07/63bfe44e-ac9f-11e8-b1da-ff7faa680710_story.html?utm_term=.d4ef3f949471

Murphy, J. (April 11, 2019). Pa. proposal to reduce litter could add fee to plastic shopping bags, limit straws. PennLive. Retrieved from https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/04/zero-waste-pa-bills-seek-to-move-pa-away-from-being-a-throwaway-society.html

Langone, A. (July 23, 2018). No one knew how many plastic straws Americans use every day. Then, a 9-year-old kid did the math. Money. Retrieved from http://money.com/money/5343736/how-many-plastic-straws-used-every-day/

Pascus, B. (May 7, 2019). New study claims 43 states expose millions to dangerous chemical in drinking water. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drinking-water-may-contain-pfas-chemicals-in-43-states-according-to-new-study-by-environmental-working-group/

PFAS Contamination in the U.S. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2019_pfas_contamination/map/

This blog was included as part of the 2019 Spring Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!