Radio Chatskill

Starting January 1, 2025, New York State’s law that bans PFAS in clothing will go into effect. 

Clothes and textiles are examples of a major use of PFAS, which are typically used to provide stain and water resistance. 

The National Resources Defense Council is celebrating the January 1st ban saying its a huge win for public health because it will reduce New Yorkers’ exposure to this dangerous chemical in clothing, which can touch and rub against our skin all day.

Even with this ban, the fight to get PFAS out of the everyday personal and household items is far from over. 

We spoke with Kate Donovan, the NRDC’s Northeast Environmental Health director about the ban and three new PFAS bills that will be introduced for the 2025 legislative session in Albany.

The towering coal silos on Main Street in Callicoon, New York, once served as the heartbeat of the small town, transporting coal from Honesdale, PA, to Monticello, NY, and helping put the hamlet on the map. 

Now, nearly a century after they were built, the historic structures are deteriorating, sparking a local movement to save the iconic landmark before it’s too late.

We spoke to ENGN Civic Creative Center co-founders Issac Green Diebbol and Tom Bosket about the preservation effort.

After a record seven hour session, Sullivan County Legislators approved the 2025 Budget, which includes a 2.5% tax levy increase. The budget passed with an 8-1 vote, with District 9 Legislator Terry Blosser-Bernardo opposed. 

The budget includes funding for several key initiatives, including $21.6 million for road and bridgework, $2.7 million for the EMS fly car system, and $2 million for a Housing Trust Fund to address the housing crisis. 

Other significant expenditures include $2 million for the design and renovation of County office spaces, $500,000 for the Sullivan Promise Scholarship Program, and $494,000 for community nonprofits through the Discretionary Funding Program.

Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz expressed relief at the budget's passage but noted that some departments were not treated fairly. She highlighted the 5% raise for most management/confidential employees and expressed hope for comparable increases for union employees in the coming year.

Several other legislators echoed the sentiment of continued work ahead. District 1 Legislator Matthew McPhillips emphasized the need to address concerns raised by employees and the public, while District 3 Legislator Brian McPhillips highlighted the budget's focus on maintaining and improving services without significantly impacting taxpayers.

Despite concerns, the budget was ultimately approved, with many legislators highlighting specific initiatives they were pleased to support. District 6 Legislator Luis Alvarez, a strong advocate for the EMS fly car system, praised its lifesaving success. 

District 8 Legislator Amanda Ward, a first-time legislator, expressed her pride in the budget, stating that it "does right by the people we serve and the phenomenal staff we employ."

The full details of the adopted budget will be made available on the Sullivan County website at www.sullivanny.us. 

Sullivan County Government Communications Director Dan Hust appeared on Radio Chatskill to discuss the details. 

 Miss Havisham, The Artful Dodger, Scrooge, The Ghost of Christmas Past. 

Farm Arts Collective is debuting a new short work featuring these famous characters and others from Charles Dickens novels at the annual "Dickens on the Delaware" town wide celebration in the Hamlet of Callicoon, NY on December 14.

It's called "The Fezziwig Party" and it incorporates themes like social inequality and a call for compassion that are prevalent in Dickens' writing. 

Tannis Kowalchuk is the Artistic Director of Farm Arts Collective and the director of  "The Fezziwig Party" and spoke about the play's origins.

NACL's "A Winter's Table" gathering features food and drink and a mechanical table designed by artist-inventor Dan Brinkerhoff.

The table--akin to a lazy susan---will deliver dishes curated by Henning Nordanger (Henning's Local and Julia's Local) to guests.

Brinkerhoff's wife Joanne Wasserman-Brinkerhoff and NACL's Brett Keyer joined us with the details..

This weekend, nearly 200 women of all ages—from teenagers to elders—are gathering in Sullivan County, NY, for the annual Rural Women's Assembly. 

The event, which brings together women from across New York State’s rural communities, fosters learning, inspiration, and empowerment. Organized by the Rural & Migrant Ministry, the assembly supports the organization's mission to build a just and equitable rural New York by nurturing leadership, challenging unjust systems, and standing in solidarity with marginalized groups, particularly farmworkers and rural laborers.

We spoke to Adrienne Jensen, co- organizer of the Assembly. Jensen is also the Catskills Regional Coordinator for Rural Migrant Ministry and co-runs the Youth Economic Group. 

'Tis the season. Respiratory virus season that is. Respiratory viruses like Covid-19, influenza, and RSV are increasing in New York and nationally.  Plus, there’s been a spike in whooping cough.

Dr. Marisa Donnelly is Your Local Epidemiologist at Healthbeat New York and she appeared on Radio Chatskill
with the latest statistics and with advice on how you can protect yourself and your family heading into the holidays.

Image by benzoix on Freepik

Christmas trees, holiday decorations, and festive meals are all iconic symbols of the holiday season, but they also pose potential fire risks that contribute to a rise in home fires across the U.S. each December. The National Fire Protection Association reports that in 2022, Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranked as the second- and third-highest days for home cooking fires, respectively.

Michael B. Gaffney is the Deputy Director and Fire Coordinator for Ulster County Department of Emergency Services and he appeared on Radio Chatskill with tips on how to minimize the likelihood of cooking, candle, Christmas tree, and decoration fires.

Candles and Lighting
Decorating homes with electrical lighting and candles also contributes to a higher fire risk during the holiday season. The NFPA reports between 2018 and 2022, U.S. fire departments responded to an annual average of 835 home structure fires that began with decorations (excluding Christmas trees). Year-round, approximately one-third (32%) of home decoration fires were started by candles; in December, that number jumped to almost half (46%).

Christmas Trees
Christmas tree fires don’t happen very often, but when they do, they tend to be more serious. According to the NFPA, an annual average of 155 home Christmas tree fires resulted in four civilian deaths, seven civilian injuries, and $15 million in direct property damage, with electrical distribution or lighting equipment involved in more than two in five home Christmas tree fires.

Lithium-Ion Batteries
Many people will be buying and gifting electronic devices that contain lithium-ion batteries. As the use of these devices has increased in recent years, so too has the number of related fires.

There are steps you can do to better protect your home from a fire during the holidays. You can find the full list of safety tips below:

• Cook with caution.
• Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged.
• Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash. Recycling is always the best option. Take the batteries to a battery recycling location or contact your local waste department for disposal instructions.
• Have device repairs performed only by a qualified professional.
• Make sure your Christmas tree is at least three feet away from any heat sources.
• Only use devices, batteries and charging equipment that is listed under nationally recognized testing lab and labeled accordingly.
• Stop using your device if the battery shows signs of damage, such as an unusual odor, excessive heat, popping sounds, swelling, or change in color.
• Use charging equipment that is only compatible with your device. To be safe, use only the charging equipment that is supplied with your device.
• When your burning candles, use candle holders that are sturdy and won't tip over easily.

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles that either come from products intentionally containing them or break off from larger plastic items like clothing, tires, and cookware, are increasingly being found in unexpected places.

And they are everywhere. These particles have been detected in the clouds, on Mount Everest, in the deepest parts of the oceans, and in the Arctic. Microplastics can contain over 20,000 different plastic chemicals and are often attached to harmful human-made compounds linked to serious health risks, including cancer, neurotoxicity, and hormonal and developmental disruptions.

In a move to tackle this growing crisis, more than 170 environmental organizations filed a legal petition last week, urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin monitoring microplastics in drinking water. The petition marks a crucial step in addressing a pollution problem that is fast becoming one of the most urgent public health threats facing the nation.

Despite rising awareness about the widespread contamination of water and its impact on human health, the EPA has yet to take significant action. The petition calls on the agency to start tracking microplastics as an emerging contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act by 2026.

In Pike County, Pennsylvania they’re doing something about it now. 

Rachael Marques is a Watershed Specialist for the Pike County Conservation District and she appeared on Radio Chatskill to discuss their Study of Microplastics in Pike County Waters.

Inspired by Christmas sing-alongs they grew up with in New Hampshire, Grammy Award-winners Dan and Claudia Zanes are blending classic Christmas songs along with music from various cultures and traditions on Saturday, December 7, in the Bethel Woods Event Gallery. 

The performance will include seasonal songs from around the world, including Puerto Rico, Korea, Wales, Tunisia, Haiti, and Washington D.C. In addition to popular holiday songs like “Let It Snow,” “Silent Night,” and “Deck the Halls,” the show will celebrate Hanukkah, Korean New Year, Kwanzaa, and the Winter Solstice.

Dan and Claudia, known for their Smithsonian Folkways recordings, will be joined by multi-instrumentalist and children’s music artist Elena Moon Park. The trio will combine folk music with guitar, violin, trumpet, harmonica, flute, spoons, percussion, and mandolin, creating an intimate, living-room-like atmosphere onstage.he Christmas sing-alongs they grew up with in New Hampshire.

The Holiday Sing-Along will also be sensory-friendly, making it accessible for everyone. Attendees will receive a printed songbook to follow along with the music. After the performance, ticket holders will receive a voucher for discounted access to the Bethel Woods "Peace, Love, and Lights" holiday light display.

The event is pay-what-you-wish, and tickets do not need to be purchased in advance.