Photo by Danilo Batista on Unsplash
As the warmer weather starts to kick in, as Bronxites venture outdoors, and barbecuing season approaches, Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP) has launched a Clean Air initiative to remind community members to be mindful of those with asthma, and to take pro-active measures to maintain clean, healthy air in their respective communities.
“The community of Mosholu deserves clean, fresh, and unpolluted air,” said Elizabeth Quaranta, executive director of FOMP, adding that with the high rates of asthma in The Bronx, the message was even more important.
As reported previously by Norwood News, according to the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, each year, approximately 20,000 children in New York City end up in the emergency department or are hospitalized due to asthma. About 40 percent of these children live in the Bronx, with Black and Latino communities among the most affected.
Quaranta said that barbecues are not just about litter but air pollution. “The Bronx is already compromised with more people coming into this community from the exponential housing development,” she said. “With tall buildings, there is less air flow between residents. We are creating a heat island effect more than ever. When we smell toxic smoke coming from a building, don’t we call 311 or even 911?”
Image courtesy of The Clean Air Campaign
Quaranta said FOMP’s clean air campaign is about breathing in clean air, which also helps those who are asthmatic. They encourage residents to take note of the following points in this regard:
- Inhaling carcinogens is not good. The smoke produced by grilling contains carcinogens and other pollutants that damage health. BBQ smoke contains a high level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known to cause DNA mutations and lung disease. Research also confirms that smoke also enters the skin more quickly causing the same amount of damage. Barbecue pollutes the air. The particles that are small enough to make it down into the airways and into the lungs and some of the gases, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), can also trigger asthma symptoms. A typical barbecue releases as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as a 90-mile car journey, scientists have found.
- There are alternatives to barbecuing. It’s often easier to throw an eco-friendly picnic. Planning ahead, keeping things simple, and choosing sustainable supplies are surefire ways to make your summer picnics as eco-friendly as possible. Picnics are also healthier, and Bronx county is ranked number 62 out of New York State’s 62 counties when it comes to the population’s overall health.
- Residents can bring their take-out food to the park, but should remember to take away what they pack in. With budget cuts to the City’s Parks’ department, our trash pick-up is limited to almost nothing. Residents are asked to take their trash with them, recycle what they can, and dispose of the rest. Many parks nationwide are opting out of providing trash bins in public parks. Quaranta sees that being implemented here too, as the City has already done it on most of the MTA platforms.
Image courtesy of Friends of Mosholu Parkway
Residents who still wish to barbecue in public are encouraged to do so in designated barbecue sites, located across the borough. A list of such areas can be accessed here. For those who do barbecue, Parks’ department officials have advised that Parks’ enforcement patrol officers (PEPs) will continue to regularly patrol Mosholu and other parks in the Bronx and elsewhere, and will be working closely with the NYPD to monitor and enforce the rules to ensure compliance with all applicable barbecuing and fire restrictions.
Because barbecuing outside of designated areas is not permitted, a Parks’ department spokesperson told the Norwood News, “We ask New Yorkers observing instances of such [violations] to report them to 311.”
Because of the ongoing pandemic, City officials and PEP officers are fully aware that people need to make use of the parks for recreational purposes and for their mental health, especially during warmer weather and in the absence of other options, as the reopening of the City is staggered.
Officials say PEP officers take an educated approach, whenever possible, when speaking to groups who may not be aware of barbecuing restrictions, and will always try to work with residents, as opposed to making arrests or issuing summons.
Image courtesy of NYC Parks
They say that, typically, summonses are only issued by officers if park patrons refuse to comply with their requests to desist from barbecuing, once they have been warned. That being said, in accordance with NYC Parks’ administration code §18-146(c)(22)(a), failure to comply with fire restrictions can result in a fine of $50.
Quaranta is critical of what she sees as too low a fine. “That is ridiculous,” she said. “Climate change is a priority for this new [Biden] administration, and barbecue smoke is an issue. That $50 needs to be $2,500.”
Meanwhile, prevailing barbecuing guidelines are detailed on the City’s Parks’ department website. Residents are advised to be cautious when barbecuing and to keep a safe distance from patrons, children, and trees. They are asked to be courteous to others and to clean the area carefully before leaving. Barbecuing events involving more than 20 people require a special events permit.
Parks’ rules prohibit the following:
- littering and dumping of debris
- propane
- barbecuing in non-authorized areas
- barbecuing next to trees, tree roots, or buildings. Residents should keep ten feet or more away from any structures.
- any type of open, ground, or camp fire. Please barbecue at least three feet off the ground.
- barbecuing by anyone 18 years or younger
There are also rules which stipulate how to clean up after barbecues. All coal and matches must be disposed of in designated red barrels. Residents should not place anything flammable in a regular litter barrel, and water should be used to extinguish hot coals. Improperly dumped coals or matches can do major damage to the parkland.
Image courtesy of the National Forestry
Quaranta acknowledged that barbecues have been around for years. “It’s been a pastime, it’s American, it’s July 4th, it’s Labor Day, but at what cost?” she asked. “Remember when everyone smoked? It was the thing to do, but research has changed that smoking habit because it’s killing us.”
Quaranta continued, “We have to take care of each other. People who smoke are not on top of people who don’t. Barbecuing should be the same. Barbecues can trigger all kinds of toxic smoke with asthmatic seniors and people with respiratory issues. Why do I want second-hand smoke? It’s my parkland too.”
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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