THREE GENERATIONS OF WICC LEADERSHIP

Today marks WICC’s fifth year of existence as a nonprofit, and with the anniversary brings significant leadership transitions. August 10th marks the official resignation of Founder Annabel Gregg from her titles as Board President and Consultant, the transition of outgoing Executive Director Arianna Trapp to take on the Board President title, and the stepping-up of former Program Coordinator Bianca Custer as the new Executive Director. 

GREGG RESIGNS 

Gregg founded the nonprofit in 2019 and served as the org’s Executive Director until 2022. She has acted as Board President since WICC became an incorporated nonprofit in that same year, and has led the organization’s water contamination projects in Upstate New York. Gregg’s resignation comes as she begins a career in environmental policy at the Lands & Forests Division of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation this September as a New York State Excelsior Service Fellow. 

“This is bittersweet, as I’m basically saying goodbye to my baby. I’m so proud of what the whole team has accomplished in the last five years, and I am beyond excited to watch what amazing work they will do under Bianca and Ari’s leadership. I also want to particularly thank Nico Gentile, Madeline Van Shelven, Kayla Chang, Sam Grimmke, and Nolan Lyons for their dedication to building the organization and making sure our efforts are as meaningful and impactful as they can be. I love this team and I know it’s just a see you later, not a goodbye.” 

CUSTER TAKES OVER

As of today, the organization will be spearheaded by the efforts of Washingtonian Bianca Custer. Custer started as a Program Coordinator in spring 2023 and has shown remarkable dedication to the mission and operations of WICC. They recently graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Environmental Studies - Justice & Community Resilience Emphasis. 

"I’m honored to accept the role of Executive Director at WICC and am grateful to be following in the footsteps of Arianna Trapp, who has been such an excellent ED during my first year with WICC,” said Custer. “I look forward to helping WICC continue to achieve its goals by highlighting the strengths and dedication of WICC’s amazing team."

TRAPP TRANSITIONS, NEW BOARD 

Outgoing Executive Director Arianna Trapp will be taking over as Board President as of today, taking over the title for Gregg. Trapp is a Research Associate at the National Academy of Sciences GRP in Washington, D.C. and has an MPS in Marine Conservation from the University of Miami. Trapp has led the team as Executive Director over the last year, and has coordinated efforts expanding projects in California, a new WICC Summer Advocacy Fellowship, and many internal projects including WICC’s first Environmental Justice policy. 

"I'm excited to step into the more advisory role that the Board President is able to play,” said Trapp. “Working with Bianca with me as ED and them as Program Coordinator was great, so I'm also glad we'll continue to work together."

Kayla Chang, WICC’s Director of Advocacy Operations, will take over as Board Secretary as Trapp transitions out of that role. 

Outgoing Board Treasurer Sam Grimmke is also wrapping up his tenure. Grimmke was a founding member of the organization and served on the Board for four years. He also acted as the Finance & Fundraising Director for three years, leading the organization through some of its first-ever grassroots fundraising efforts, including the key Run Fast For Flint 5k in 2021. Grimmke is the Program Coordinator at 21/64, a non-profit philanthropic consulting practice in New York. 
Madeline Van Shelven, current Finance and Fundraising Director, takes over as Board Treasurer as of today. Van Shelven started as a fundraising intern in 2020 and has since spearheaded the organization’s fundraising efforts. Van Shelven is a third-year J.D. Candidate at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. 

Nolan Lyons, another founding member, resigned at the July meeting of the Board. He acted as the organization’s Advocacy Director from 2020 to 2022 and as a Board member since 2020, including serving as Board Secretary from 2022 to 2023. He managed the first cohorts of WICC Advocacy interns, was one of the hosts of the Just Add Water Podcast from 2021 to 2022, and spearheaded many of the org’s advocacy efforts during the pandemic. Lyons is based in NYC and is now a Senior Associate at SKDK, one of the top PR firms in the nation. 

SCEHSC GRANTS $10K FOR SANTA ANA CLEAN WATER INITIATIVE

The Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center (SCEHSC) awarded the Water Insecurity Correction Coalition (WICC) $10,000 through their Community Action Fund this week. The grant enables WICC’s youth-led team and their partners to deliver community-oriented water security programming in Santa Ana, California. 

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are “forever chemicals” that pose serious environmental harm and health risks to the communities of which they infiltrate water supplies. For nearly a decade, suspicion in Santa Ana has loomed over potential water contamination by forever chemicals, but there is still a need for community organizing or education initiatives 

The Santa Ana Clean Water Initiative (SACWI) will increase community awareness, education, and engagement regarding PFAS risks, testing, and mitigation strategies. With the support of SCEHSC, SACWI will host its family fun-filled and educational Block Party on June 22nd in Delhi Park. In addition, the grant enables expansive community water testing efforts in Santa Ana to be conducted by SACWI partners.

"WICC has been aware of the drinking water problems in California for some time now. Our work in the region thus far has been largely remote, so this is an exciting opportunity to build a connection with a Southern California community and several local organizations,” said WICC Executive Director Arianna Trapp. SACWI is a collaborative project between WICC, the Orange County Environmental Justice Educational Fund (OCEJ), and the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences of Keck School of Medicine and the Viterbi School of Engineering of USC. “It is really exciting to be combining forces and working from the community level up to address the long-term systemic issues that have been associated with PFAS contamination. Through combining forces with a focus on community needs, we are able to impact hundreds of people's lives through these types of events,” said Director of Project Development, Nico Gentile. 

USC is a critical partner involved in SACWI. “Our team at USC has been working on addressing PFAS contamination in Southern California and are enthusiastic to support efforts by WICC and OCEJ for community engagement and exposure assessment in Santa Ana,” said Max Aung, Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental Health at the University of Southern California. “Expanding data on PFAS drinking water measurements can help inform solutions for pursuing clean drinking water in affected communities.” 

OCEJ is a grassroots 501c3 in Orange County working to advance environmental justice and mobilize communities. “Our partnerships with UCI, USC, and WICC have made it possible to strengthen our capacity and resources; making water testing accessible to more residents and deconstructing complex academia information around water contamination into an easy to digest manner to advocate for long lasting environmental justice solutions that benefit our community members,” said Keila Villegas, Water Justice Director at OCEJ. 

The SACWI Block Party will be in Santa Ana’s Delhi Park on Saturday, June 22nd from 11 AM to 3 PM. Santa Ana families are encouraged to come enjoy local food, games, bounce houses, and important resources on water safety and testing resources. Admission is free. More details can be found at yeswicc.com/sacwi.

WICC MARI COPENY AWARD 2023 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

GREENWICH, FLINT, NEWARK – The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. is excited to announce its Mari Copeny Award & Scholarship Winners for the Class of 2023. These five high school seniors were selected by a committee of community leaders, teachers, and representatives from the youth-led nonprofit organization based on their community leadership experiences, commitment to social justice, and academic prowess. Each award winner also receives a $100 scholarship. 

The winner representing the Flint, Michigan region is Melodie Marsh from Genesee Early College. The winner from the New Jersey region is Saeed Rayman from Great Oaks Legacy Charter School. The winners from Greenwich High School are Keegan Collins, Teagan Wright, and Fatima Reyes.

Melodie Marsh spoke in their essay about her passion for advocating for her community, and how she is “not too young to have a voice…my voice deserves to be heard as much as anyone else’s.” Marsh reflected upon how “the Flint water crisis is what inspires me to continue my education to feed back into my community.” Marsh has a clear commitment to making a difference in her community for others, particularly impacted by environmental crises like Flint’s water crisis.

Saeed Rayman spoke in their essay how a community, in their own words, is “a group of people who share the same struggle, who work together in order to build up rather than down.” Reflecting on the lead in Newark’s water supplies, Rayman remarked that “sometimes it takes someone to say something about an issue everyone knows about in order for it to be fixed.” Rayman uses their voice to advocate for those most vulnerable and needed. 

Teagan Wright wrote about her intensive involvement in the Greenwich community, particularly by working with adolescents with atypical development and advocating for gender equality. Even as Valedictorian of her class, she has amassed more than 500 hours of community service driven by her ideals: “Along with spreading awareness, being inclusive is the greatest thing I can do to fight for social justice. Being inclusive means I go out of my way to ensure no one feels unwelcome or uninvited.” 

Fatima Reyes’ excellence in school was achieved while overcoming significant adversity after moving from her hometown in Mexico to Upstate New York. From having to learn a brand new language at a young age to being jarred by racism and harmful stereotypes, Reyes went from isolating herself to learning how to take pride in her heritage and background. She has since worked “hard to represent the inclusiveness that I hope to see in others. I make an effort to help others feel included, accepted and safe regardless of their differences.” Her altruism and inspirational drive have “sparked a fire” in her to become an activist: "I care deeply about human rights, because I've had to fight for my own. I fight for social justice every day in the way I live my life."

Keegan Collins has been a leader on the track, in the classroom, and in their community. As Class President, a NY State Champion in the indoor weight throw, and a leader in their local community, Collins’ leadership experiences “have given me a first hand look into what it’s like to be a leader and have others look up to you. I feel I have become a stronger person, and I am now more confident than I ever was. I’ve learned how to listen to others and their opinions, be flexible, have empathy, respect, and courage to do what's best.” Collins will be a leader in their future endeavors, and work to fight for social justice in all forms. 

WICC’s Scholarship Selection Committee is composed of local representatives from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the National Clean Water Collective, the Newark Water Coalition, STEAM Urban, Greenwich High School, and Hudson Crossing Park. The Committee is made up entirely of volunteers that want to support their region’s best and brightest in a meaningful way. 

The Flint Crepe Company and Betterbee sponsored this community-oriented scholarship & award – without their generosity, this scholarship wouldn’t be possible. The Flint Crepe Company’s crepes are made from scratch using ingredients purchased from local producers operating within organic and sustainable principles. Through their Tuesday Tips for Charity program, Flint Crepe Co matches the tips given every Tuesday at their store and donates the money to local organizations in the Flint area. 

Betterbee is the leading sponsor of the scholarship and has been the scholarship’s primary sponsor since the award’s inception in 2020. Betterbee is based out of Greenwich, New York and supplies the region with beekeeping supplies, bee and honey products, and beekeeping education. 

Mari Copeny, a youth activist from Michigan, is popularly known as “Little Miss Flint” for her community leadership and fight for clean water for her fellow Flint, Michigan residents, who have been in the midst of a lead water crisis for seven years now. The Mari Copeny Award and Scholarship for graduating high school seniors has been given to 4 years of graduating seniors. The award is meant to honor Mari’s legacy as a dedicated social justice warrior and encourage community involvement and leadership in young adults. 

Based out of New York State, Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. intends to advocate for and directly aid residents of water-insecure communities to ensure equitable access to clean water for people across the United States. WICC utilizes 5 key action areas to fight for water security for all Americans: fundraising development, grassroots activism, policy advocacy, youth empowerment, and meaningful education. For more information on the scholarship and WICC, visit yeswicc.com.

SCHOLARSHIP CLASS OF 2023 WINNERS: 

Melodie Marsh

Genesee Early College

Flint 

Attending Xavier University of Louisiana in Fall 2023

Saeed Rayman 

Great Oaks Legacy Charter HS

Newark 

Attending New Jersey Institute of Technology in Fall 2023

Teagan Wright

Greenwich High School 

Greenwich 

Attending South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Fall 2023

Keegan Collins

Greenwich High School 

Greenwich 

Attending State University of New York at Albany in Fall 2023

Fatima Reyes Arana

Greenwich High School 

Greenwich 

Attending Champlain College in Fall 2023

Questions Answered at WICC Poestenkill Water Town Hall

POESTENKILL — On Wednesday, June 28th, WICC invited residents of Poestenkill to listen and participate in a conversation about the PFAS contamination of the town's water supply. UWCP Project Lead and WICC Founder, Annabel Gregg, started the event with an overview of the PFAS problem history and updates on proposed solutions for the town. Panelists representing key state agencies like DEC and DOH as well as Town figureheads fielded questions from WICC and the audience.

As an issue that started in January 2021 after high levels of PFOA were discovered in Algonquin Middle School’s water, efforts to understand and remediate the problem have been in the works for more than two years. This past spring, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released its report touting the conclusion that no evidence pointed to a major point source of the contamination. The Town of Poestenkill has proposed a new water district that would connect residents surrounding Algonquin Middle to the Tomhannock Reservoir in Troy, NY.

Panelists

• Eric Wohlleber - Deputy Town Supervisor and Councilman, Town of Poestenkill

• Rich Elder - Environmental Health Director, Rensselaer County Department of Health

• Tony Bollasina - Project Manager - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

• Justin Deming - Chief, Regions 4, 5 & 8, Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation, New York State Department of Health

• Greg Pattenaude - Representative, Concerned Citizens for Clean Drinking Water

Q: Is there a specific expiration date for the grants?

A (E.W.): The state grant expiration date is in 4 years.

Q: After attending the State Drinking Water Quality Council Meeting, NYS agencies have determined that PFOS and PFAs are likely carcinogenic, among other harms. Can anyone speak to that or the meeting?

A (J.D.): EPA is using hazard quotients to determine limits for drinking water quality standards. The full meeting can be referenced and found at this link - https://totalwebcasting.com/view/?func=VOFF&id=nysdoh&date=2023-06-28&seq=1 

Q: Algonquin Middle School is included in the cost of the proposed water distinct #2. Because the MS is the property of school district taxpayers, not just town taxpayers, will all taxpayers in the school district pay for the cost of the school to be added in the water district #2?

A (E.W., G.P., and Eric, resident): If the approval of the water district #2 were put to a community vote, Algonquin Middle School would get a single vote. In the creation of the water district #2, costs would be the responsibility of the school. Therefore, all taxpayers in the school district would bear the cost, and arguably all taxpayers in the state. However, the cost to the school would be 30 times higher than a single household’s cost, given the number of connections.

Q: The conclusion in the DEC report is that there is no known source. What does that mean in regard to qualifying for a Superfund money? Is it possible to tap into Superfund support given the multiple sites with high contamination levels?

A (T.B.): A site that is usually given Superfund money would be one that has a source that the DEC could remedy. A source would be qualified as being found through multiple media at elevated levels, spatially associated with each other, and tied to an obvious cause (leaking barrel, firefighting foam sites, etc.). The ubiquitous use of these compounds (PFAS) in everyday consumer lives has led to low levels of detection due to discharge at the surface. This is why supply chain management and well water testing is so important. 

Q: That same conclusion means that the combination of geology and domestic wastewater leachate have the potential to contaminate well water systems in almost any location, not just Poestenkill.

A (T.B.): The attribution of domestic wastewater to low-level PFAs contamination is being investigated in several areas throughout the state.

A (J.D.): Septic systems are historically designed to deal with bacterial waste, which breaks down. These chemicals don’t break down, so it is expected that they would persist, even with small amounts of leachate. Thereby affecting wells that may be nearby. Here is a link to a fact sheet for reducing PFAS in private wells: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/pfasprivatewellsfs.pdf

Q: Given all of the variables that you mentioned about this case, including geology, is Poestenkill unique?

A (T.B. & J.D.): The geology of Poestenkill is not representative of the state, so in that respect, it is unique. The other factors, such as private well and septic systems, are not so unique in the state. Other states such as Vermont and New Hampshire do have similar geology to Poestenkill, and are experiencing similar problems. The three states are working together to come up with possible solutions.

Q: Is there anything that residents should take into consideration about the depth of their wells?

A (T.B.): Although the state cannot make any recommendations because they do not regulate private wells, a deeper well and deeper casing might avoid contaminated water. However, that may not be economically beneficial given the low levels of contamination. Spending hundreds of dollars on filters versus thousands on putting in new wells is the decision homeowners face in that respect. However, PFAs grab onto carbon, making activated carbon filters especially effective for low levels of contamination. Public water is also a great option, given the geology of the town.

For those curious about how geology affects the water quality: https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5087/pdf/SIR2008-5087.pdf 

Q: Would the water coming in from the Tomhannock Reservoir be filtered?

A (A.G. and R.E.): The water would be treated before it gets to the service lines. The city of Troy has its own filtration plant, and as the water travels to Poestenkill, it goes through multiple re-chlorination stations.

Q: Do those filters include carbon or other filters that filter out PFOAs?

A (R.E.): The city does have the ability to put in carbon beds for that purpose, but have not done so because there has not been a need. The water at the reservoir gets tested quarterly, and there have been extremely low or no levels of PFAs detected. Any detections of PFAs were so low that they could be attributed to lab or sampling error. 

Q: Is it safe to assume that detection levels are going to rise based on the amount of time it takes for these chemicals to leach through soil?

A(T.B.): If the levels in the discharge point remain the same, then yes the levels would be expected to rise. Given the fact that manufacturers are removing PFAs from the supply chain, the amount of chemicals in the discharge point should decrease. Due to this, as well as water diffusion and dilution, the detection levels would be expected to decrease over time.

Q: Are there any plans for ongoing testing of surface water?

A: No panelists were able to answer this question

Q: Were PFAS levels higher in the past? This is a worry because of the public health affects and unknowns involved with PFAs.

A(J.D.): There is no way to get historic water quality data. Toxicologists at the DOH don’t believe that the drinking water exposure to PFAs at these levels would result in detection of contaminated blood.

A (A.G.): If anyone is personally concerned about this, given the bioaccumulative nature of these chemicals, a blood test would be the best way to learn if you’ve been exposed over long periods of time.

A (E.W.): Having the Town pay for water tests and extending the current water district are both options that have been brought up to the Town Board, but have not gained any traction.

Q: Are the $70 tests that WICC can acquire for residents comparable to the $350 ones that some residents have used before?

A (A.G.): The tests likely use the same analyte method for detection, however the Cyclopure tests are not certified. These would not be able to be used in a court of law, although they are good for residents that are curious about their own water.

The full recording of the town hall, including the presentation can be found at www.yeswicc.com/poestenkill. 

UPSTATE WATER CONTAMINATION PROJECT AWARDED LOCAL GRANT FUNDING

The Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, or WICC, was the recipient of three area grant awards for its Upstate Water Contamination Project (UWCP). UWCP is a two-pronged project designed to meaningfully respond to emerging water crises in Upstate New York: road salt contamination in the Adirondacks and the town of Poestenkill's PFAS-laden water supply. 

The Common Roots Foundation granted over $2,000 for WICC to procure chlorine and sodium testing supplies for Adirondack residents. Survey data collected by the project will identify households that should test their drinking water supplies for contamination from de-icing salt applied to their roads in the winter. Grant funds will also be used to convene residents for an educational town hall about the threat of road salt contamination to drinking water safety and to complete surveying efforts in the Adirondacks.   

“We are so grateful for the generous support we have received from the Common Roots Foundation,” commented Annabel Gregg, WICC Founder & UWCP Project Lead. “CRF has shown their true commitment to making a difference for Upstate New Yorkers. We feel so honored to be included in this grant cycle’s cohort of changemakers.” 

In the Adirondacks, Freshwater Future also granted funds to test for road salt in drinking water wells and to conduct a large-scale water sampling effort of freshwater bodies in the Adirondacks. As an official partner of Salt Watch, WICC will assemble and disseminate a team of youth volunteers at local schools to complete road salt waterway monitoring in Adirondack Park. Freshwater Future also awarded WICC two grants for each region of UWCP’s work. In Poestenkill – a small town near Albany that is grappling with PFAS contamination of drinking water supplies – Freshwater Future’s support will alleviate the burden caused by water bills and allow WICC to keep residents informed about the solutions to their town’s PFAS problem. 

“Freshwater Future does such amazing work in the Great Lakes region, and we are so excited to be joining their coalition as a member,” said Gregg. “We could not be more grateful to be the recipient of their Special Opportunity Grant for New York Drinking Water Advocacy. We hope these grants kick off a meaningful partnership between our organizations.” 

Water Insecurity Correction Coalition, Inc. is a youth-led nonprofit organization based in New York focused on eradicating water insecurity in all forms nationwide. WICC’s Upstate Water Contamination Project is an advocacy and citizen science program focused on emerging water crises in Upstate New York, specifically road salt contamination in the Adirondacks and Poestenkill’s PFAS contamination.