Herkimer County, New York: an Environmental Health Diagnosis

Herkimer County, New York: An Environmental Health Diagnosis

By Lily Fitzgerald

7th Grade, Tamarac Secondary School

Mentored by Alexandra Evans

ABSTRACT

This report presents an opening environmental health assessment of Herkimer County,

New York. The research was done through data produced by government agencies, news reports, and through an interview with a technician at the Herkimer Soil and Water

Conservation. The report identifies key environmental issues and the main stakeholders in Herkimer County, presents new ideas, challenges, and opportunities. The information found during the research process ranges from the population and quality of life to the water quality and how people can help. The research found may be different from the observations of environmental groups, officials, and residents of Herkimer County. The report can be used as a baseline for Herkimer County residents and stakeholders concerning environmental events in the county.

INTRODUCTION

This report provides a beginning environmental health assessment of Herkimer County.

It identifies key characteristics, environmental challenges, and stakeholders of the county. To start, the report describes the reason to study counties, questions that help understand the wellbeing of a county, and some of the challenges that occurred while studying counties. Next in the report is a background section which provides historical

1 information, location of the county, and the population of the county. It also provides some geographical features of the county. Then in the report you will find a section named “County Environmental Health Indicators.” In this section, you can find information about the air quality, rivers, watersheds, and water quality, as well as the climate change preparedness of the county. In this section you will also find brief information about the unusual cancer rates in Herkimer County. The section following the health indicators provides three environmental case studies. One is focused on lead levels especially in children in Herkimer County, one on soil and water quality in the county, and another on the population increase and decrease over the past 100 years and lack of jobs and how it is affecting the quality of life of the people in Herkimer

County. To end the report, there will be a conclusion which provides an abstract assessment and possible priority areas.

RATIONALE AND METHODS

A county can often be unnoticed and overlooked. Many people pay more attention to state officials and decisions, as well as city officials, but do not think about the county government. Counties are a crucial part of the government structure by providing services directly to American people (NACO). People depend on counties to provide services that build, maintain and protect their homes, schools and neighborhoods.

Counties are one of America’s oldest forms of government. The first county governments were established in 1634 in Virginia (NACO). Counties are very diverse in the way they are structured and how they deliver their services. The organization and formation of counties are customized to fit their communities’ needs and characteristics.

Everyone living in the United States lives in a county, so it is important for people to realize there is more than just their city and state.

2 New York State is broken up into 62 counties. Although counties range from 22.96 square miles (New York County) to 2685.59 square miles (St. Lawrence County), the county governments make important decisions about the county as a whole (New York

Map). Counties and county governments make decisions such as the protection of the environment, the protection of the wild life in the area, and helping certain areas by providing the services needed. The National Association of Counties is working with county officials to try to raise awareness and understanding of counties and their role in government.

Counties can be hard to research because they are not what people seek information about. Most people want to find out what is going on in their city or town and even state, but not about what is going on in their county. Counties make decisions that can affect the people living in them, but in general people do not consider them to be as important as the city and state.

BACKGROUND

Herkimer County is a rural county located in central New York State. It is 1,411.47 square miles, which is the longest county in New York as well as the sixth largest county geographically. Forty- seven of the 1,411.47 square miles is water. The density of

Herkimer County is 44.25 people per square mile and the population 64, 519 people.

Herkimer County is northwest of Albany and east of Syracuse. The northern part of the county is in the Adirondack Park and the Mohawk River flows through the southern part of the county. It was named after Nicholas Herkimer, who lived from 1728 – 1777. He

3 was an American Revolutionary War general. Herkimer died of wounds after the Battle of Oriskany.

Herkimer County was created on February 16, 1791. The village of Herkimer in Herkimer

County became the town seat. The towns and villages contained in Herkimer County include Webb, Ohio, Russia, Norway, Salisbury, Newport, Fairfield, Schuyler, Herkimer,

Frankfort, Ilion, Mohawk, Little Falls, Manheim, German Flats, Litchfield, Winfield,

Columbia, Warren, Stark, and Danube. The neighboring counties are Fulton, Hamilton,

Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and St. Lawrence. Part of Herkimer

County was included in the Macomb's Purchase in 1791. Macomb's Purchase is a large historic area of New York State which was purchased by Alexander Macomb from the state in 1791. In 1794, Onondaga County was split off of Herkimer County to form a new county. Parts of Herkimer County were also taken to form Chenango and Oneida County in 1798. Also, in 1802 parts of Herkimer were taken to help form St. Lawrence County.

Herkimer County as we now know it was formed in 1817. It now extends from the

Adirondacks to the Mohawk Valley. The northern part of the county is known for its wood products and recreational opportunities. The southern portion is better known for agriculture and production of dairy products. Additionally, Herkimer is known for producing quartz crystals, commonly known as “Herkimer Diamonds”. Ilion, a town in

Herkimer County has one of the two production sites of Remington Arms Company.

Herkimer County’s sprawling size may have resulted in the environmental issues within and surrounding the county. Some of these issues include lead poisoning, lack of healthy water and pollutants from old factories, which have all lead to cancer. Although there are numerous current health issues, none have been so daunting to have caused people to move out of the area and has not stopped others from moving to the area.

4 Although few people have left the area because of environmental or health issues, many have left because of the lack of available jobs. In the past, many people had jobs in factories, but with the majority of the factories now closed, the number of jobs has decreased dramatically.

COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INDICTORS

The data provided in the following charts shows the quality of the water and air in

Herkimer County in relation to the overall health of the county.

WATERSHED HEALTH Watershed name: Mohawk River Watershed

5 What percentage of rivers have What percentage of lakes Overall percentage with poor poor water quality? have poor water quality? water quality? 11 % 31 % 20 %

What percentage of rivers have What percentage of lakes Overall percentage with good good water quality? has good water quality? water quality? 31 % 9 % 21 % 20 % of lakes and rivers in the Mohawk River Watershed (Central New York State) have poor quality. The water quality issues are very diverse. The more major issues are related to the urban and industrial inputs of the population centers beside the Mohawk River/NYS Barge

Canal corridor. Some of the major water quality concerns are the municipal wastewater and combined sewage overflows, which impacts Utica and other urban areas, acid rain which is limiting the fish community and aquatic life, urban runoff and industrial impacts in population centers, and agricultural and other nonpoint sources of nutrients and various other pollutants

(DEC). These issues are major concerns for the residents of the counties that live in the

Mohawk River Watershed. People that are part of the Mohawk River Watershed are encouraged to help by adopting a section of waterway, conserve water every day, sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than hosing them off, not wasting water (use commercial car washes or wash your car on the lawn to water the grass at the same time), not flushing unused drugs or cosmetics down the drain, and help soil erosion by covering bare soil with mulch.

Watersheds do not start and end at county lines. The northern part of one county could be part of one watershed, while the southern portion is part of a different watershed. For example, the

Mohawk River Watershed only covers small parts of Albany, Saratoga, Delaware, Otsego,

Hamilton, Madison and Lewis Counties, much of Schenectady, Greene, Fulton, Herkimer and

Oneida Counties, most of Schoharie County, and all of Montgomery County.

There are 4, 086 miles of freshwater rivers and streams, 135 significant freshwater lakes,

6 ponds, and reservoirs (18, 315 miles) which allows for more of the issues that occur in the water to arise. In the Mohawk River Watershed, about 65% of river/stream miles, and 64% of lake, pond and reservoir acres have been assessed (DEC).

WATERSHED HEALTH Watershed name: Black River Watershed What percentage of rivers have What percentage of lakes Overall percentage with poor poor water quality? have poor water quality? water quality? 6 % 55 % 61 %

What percentage of rivers have What percentage of lakes Overall percentage with good good water quality? has good water quality? water quality? 45 % 1 % 23 % 61 % of rivers and lakes in the Black River Watershed (North Central New York State) have poor water quality. The Black River Watershed covers much of Jefferson, Lewis and Herkimer

Counties, and portions of western Hamilton, and northern Oneida Counties. In the Black River

Watershed, about 66 % of river/ stream miles and 58 % of lake, pond, and reservoir acres have been accessed. The water quality in this watershed is strongly influenced by atmospheric deposition. Acid rain is accountable for much of the destruction to waters in the drainage (EPA).

Significant agricultural actions throughout the watershed also add less severe but more prevalent concern. Some important water quality concerns in the watershed are acid rain which is limiting the fish community and aquatic life, atmospheric deposition of mercury which is restricting the fish consumption, agricultural and other nonpoint sources that contribute nutrients and sediment to waters, and on-site septic and rural community wastewater treatment in uncontaminated areas (DEC). People who live in this watershed are also greatly encouraged to help by adopting a section of waterway, conserve water every day, sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than hosing them off, not wasting water (use commercial car washes or wash your car on the lawn to water the grass at the same time), not flushing unused drugs or

7 cosmetics down the drain, and help soil erosion by covering bare soil with mulch.

AIR QUALITY Unhealthy air days for Unhealthy air days for Since 2003, has air

general population in people with asthma in quality for asthmatics

2012. 2012 improved or gotten

worse? 0 0 IMPROVED

RENNSSELAER

COUNTY 4 IMPROVED

ESSEX COUNTY 0

2 IMPROVED

NEW YORK 0

COUNTY

HERKIMER COUNTY 0 0 IMPROVED

The website that this information was found on is Air Compare. The above table compares unhealthy air days in various counties. The information provided on the website is not all accurate. To get the information provided, the air samples were not taken every day, so the information is just an estimate. Out of the four counties compared, they all had no unhealthy air days for the general population in 2012. As it compared the unhealthy air days for people with asthma in 2012, the information varied from county to county. In Herkimer and Rensselaer

Counties, they had no unhealthy air days for people with asthma in 2012, while Essex County had four unhealthy days and New York County had two unhealthy days. The four counties all improved in terms of the asthmatics.

8 SUPERFUNDS Are there Superfund Sites in your County?: Yes A superfund site is any land that has been contaminated by toxic waste and identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a candidate for cleanup because it poses as a risk to health and the environment (EPA). Some of the issues that people are watching about the superfund sites are cleanup funding, supervising and imposing institutional controls, enhanced statistics and public information, and the need for self- governing assessment (RFF).

In Herkimer County, there are two superfund sites: Hiteman Leather and Crumb Trailer

Park. At the Hiteman Leather site, there is chromium contamination in the soil and water. The Hiteman Leather Company used to operate a tannery which has caused the contamination. It was deemed a superfund site on January 1, 1999. In 2006, a remediation plan was developed that included excavation and dredging of the soils and wetlands in the area. The cleanup was finished by 2008 (EPA).

The Crumb Trailer Park is connected to Hiteman Leather. In 1996, New York State

Department of Health found inorganic contaminants at high levels. The contaminants came from the Hiteman Leather Operation. The Crumb Trailer Park site used to collect the waste materials from the tannery. Unlike Hiteman Leather, there is not much remediation. The EPA plans to cover the existing land with more soil and remove the trailers (EPA).

ENERGY What region is your county located in? NPCC Upstate NY Type of Energy % of County Energy Composition

9 Renewable 4.3 %

Hydroelectric 28.2 % Nuclear 28.9 % Oil 0.8 % Gas 22.2 % Coal 15.3 % Nuclear and hydroelectric energy are the two main types of energy in the NPCC Upstate

NY region (Clean Energy – EPA). There are pros and cons to both nuclear and hydroelectric energy. Some of the pros of nuclear energy include moderately low operating expenses, lower quantities of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in power generation, and current and future nuclear waste can be reduced through waste recycling and reprocessing. Some of the cons of nuclear energy consist of a high risk of accidents, high construction expenses and extended construction time, and the waste lasts 200 – 500 thousand years (Triple Pundit). Some of the pros to hydroelectric energy include how cheap and clean it is, there are low ongoing costs, demand is matching, and there is constant power. Some of the cons include droughts affecting the amount of generation capacity, aquatic movement, high construction costs, and the installation of a dam may necessitate people and animals living close to the reservoir construction region to relocate (Green the Future). It is possible to use Herkimer County’s mixture of energy for the next 100 years and even the next 1,000 years because of how healthy it is.

NPCC Upstate NY’s energy mix varies from the national’s energy mix. The region’s energy mix is better for the planet than the national’s mix because the national mix is mostly made up of coal. 44.8 % of the national’s energy mix is made up of coal (Clean

Energy – EPA). Some of the pros of coal are that it is cheap and bountiful in a number of areas and coal deposits are usually situated close to the exterior and cover large areas, permitting numerous coal mines to maneuver for decades using moderately harmless and reasonably priced mining methods. Some of the cons of coal include that

10 it is a key resource of a number of pollutants including carbon dioxide, a green house gas, and sulfur dioxide, an element of acid rain (Yukozimo).

CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES Are there climate smart communities in your County?: No A climate smart community is an unprecedented state-local affiliation to congregate the financial, social and environmental challenges that climate change causes for New

York's local governments. There are no climate smart communities within Herkimer

County. A community would not work to become a climate smart community because they may think it is too much work, the community might not be able to assist, or for economic reasons. In order to persuade people in the county to work to become climate smart communities, citizens could have educational workshops and they can protest.

Citizens can also hold meetings to raise awareness.

ENVIROTHON COMPETITION Have any high schools in your county competed in the Envirothon competition? If yes, list them: West Canada Valley High School – Ilion, Frankfort-Schuyler, Poland,

West Canada and Herkimer County BOCES The envirothon is a non-profit organization created to synchronize the delivery of an environmental education program for high school students. Environmental education can help the environmental health of Herkimer County by possibly inspiring current students to become future environmentalists. If students gain knowledge of the environment and what is currently happening in it when they are young, they can make a difference throughout their entire life.

As of November 25, 2013, there were reports of four recent diagnoses of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in children in the West Canada Valley and the Cold Brook area that have caught the attention of the state. A state assemblyman said that cancer in the area has been a constant discussion and he is on the lookout for answers from the Department of

11 Health. Marc Butler said, “There seems to be some unusual clusters of some rare cancers in the Kuyahoora Valley. It is [a] major concern for us. I’ve been approached by people in the community to concern myself with this, and I’m doing just that.” Many people became aware of four students with cancer in the West Canada Valley Central

School District. People would not have anticipated that many students in the district to get cancer because of how small the district is. Ray Lenarcic of Herkimer said, “This knowledge rekindled memories of the involvement by my Herkimer County Community

College students and I nearly 30 years ago with a citizen's group organized to demand answers from the health department as to why so many children were suffering from cancer,” he wrote in an email. “Our concern focused on the possibility of dioxin- contaminated water as a causal factor.” Contact to dioxin in drinking water for numerous years could cause reproductive concerns and cancer. The main sources of dioxin are emissions from waste incineration and additional combustion as well as discharge from chemical factories. People focusing on the dioxin possibly being in water have not found much additional information but are continuing to investigate this issue.

In 2003, a woman by the name of Kim Labombard was diagnosed with breast cancer.

After she was diagnosed, she found out there were multiple people who lived near her who had been diagnosed with cancer themselves. She found at least twenty other citizens who have cancer or who have died from cancer that live within a few miles of the old Middleville Tannery Dump Site. She then began doing some research to find cancer clusters in New York State (WKTV). Cancer clusters are geographic regions with a statistically higher than normal occurrence of cancer among its residents (CDC). During her research, she found much talk online regarding an old toxic dump site that was just two miles from her home. The site is Middleville Tannery Dump Site. It is located on a hill in Norway, New York in Herkimer County. She then filed many requests to get more

12 information on this site. There was a study on the site in 1989 and an evaluation of the site explained the hazardous substance identified as chromium was found in the soil and in the water. There was only one additional examination certification that she received from the government agencies and it is a letter: Letter Health Consultation arranged by the New York State Department of Health. This was a 13 page statement and it demonstrated the E.P.A. did execute an additional site visit in 2004, and reported at that point there were no significant exposures to the contamination at the site. It also explained that one year later the E.P.A. asked for the New York State Department of

Health and the C.D.C. to get involved. In October 2010, an arm of the C.D.C. in Atlanta called the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released a statement concerning the 2005 E.P.A. study. The report illustrated the chromium levels of six different samples were on average 400 times the standard level. They suggested measures to thwart contact to the chromium, if the use of the land changes. Kim

Labombard wants the site cleaned up but it still has not been. She wants the area re- tested again. Stephen Litwhiler with the New York State Department of Environmental

Conservation said that both the D.E.C. and E.P.A. testing signified that the site would not be eligible to be a hazardous waste site. The tannery dumped old leather hides and pure chromium used to tan hides on that site until the 1960s. A large amount of what was dumped has never been cleaned up. Kim Lobombard now has the attention of Erin

Brockovich with this issue. Erin Brockovich is a woman that was made famous for getting a similar site cleaned up in California. There was a movie made about her experience to get the site cleaned. Kim Lobombard and the others in Herkimer County that have cancer that live close to the tannery are waiting for a call back from the attorney with Erin Brockovich’s office in California to learn more about their interest in this case.

13 CASE STUDY 1: LEAD LEVELS AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INDICATOR

Lead poisoning continues to be the number one environmental poison for children in

New York State. Children are the most at risk for lead poisoning, but adults also have a chance of getting it. Normal behaviors under the age of three, such as crawling and putting objects in their mouths, make children at a higher risk to swallow or inhale lead.

The only way to check to see if a child has lead poisoning is to do a blood lead test.

Most children do not feel or look sick. A blood lead test is required by New York State for children at ages one and two.

Older homes and people that live in older homes are at a higher risk for lead exposure.

It is also possible to bring lead dust home on clothing, hair, etc. Jobs including painting, home improvements or renovations, car maintenance and construction also put people employed in these professions at a higher risk for bringing home lead dust. Other activities such as fishing, pottery making, hunting, and refinishing furniture are also sources of lead in homes.

Blood levels of 10 mcg/dL or more are considered lead poisoned. When children are tested, they are usually around 2 mcg/dL (Health NY). Although any level under 10 mcg/dL is still considered normal, many medical doctors say that the permitted levels are too high. There is a major loss of IQ in children that occurs when blood-lead levels are less than 7.5 mcg/dL. Some doctors say the acceptable level should be lowered to 5 mcg/dL (DeNoon).

When there are higher blood lead levels, it can cause seizures, coma, and sometimes even death. Lead can harm a child's ability to learn, grow, and their behavior. Girls with

14 lead levels of 3 mcg/dL demonstrate delayed onset of puberty (Heartfixer.com). Houses built before 1950 tend to have more lead (SCDHEC). People with young children that live in a house built before 1950 are encouraged to keep their children away from chipping paint. Chipping paints in older houses are usually main sources for lead.

Drinking water is also a pathway to lead. Corrosive water that is in contact with lead pipes or lead soldered pipes can contaminate drinking water. Hot water is also contains higher levels of lead than cold water. When cooking, drinking, and making baby formula, people should use cold water. Lead is also said to be found in many children’s toys.

Another source of lead is airborne lead. Airborne lead can result from industries such as batteries and battery burning.

Herkimer County’s elevated blood-lead levels among children tested before age 6 in

2004 – 2007 is 1.8 % (Department of Health). 1.8 % is average for New York State.

Blood levels range from 0.2% in Suffolk County to 4.2% in Oneida and Montgomery

Counties. Oneida, Fulton, and Montgomery Counties all neighbor Herkimer County and have the highest blood-lead levels in the state of New York.

CASE STUDY 2: SOIL AND WATER

Soil and water are important parts of an eco-system. Soil acts as a water filter and a growing medium, provides habitat for billions of organisms, contributing to biodiversity, and supplies most of the antibiotics used to fight diseases. Humans use soil as a holding facility for solid waste, filter for wastewater, and foundation for our cities and towns. Soil is also the basis of our nation’s agro ecosystems which provide us with feed, fiber, food and fuel (SSSA). It is important to keep our soil clean because if our soil is polluted we

15 are gradually polluting our fresh water supply. Mahatma Gandi once said, “To forget how to tend the soils is to forget ourselves” (SSSA). It is important to continue to keep our soil clean and healthy so that we may keep our environment clean and healthy.

Some of the things that many people do not know about soil are that there are more living organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on earth; almost all of the antibiotics we take to help us fight infections were obtained from soil microorganisms; agriculture is the only essential industry on earth; soil is a non-renewable natural resource; the best china dishes are made from soil; 70% of the weight of a text book or glossy paged magazine is soil; and that putting clay on your face in the form of a "mud mask" is done to cleanse the pores in the skin (SSSA). In Herkimer County, there are two main types of soil. The type found in the northern part of the county is mainly sandy granite rock and the type found in the south is mainly bedrock. Additionally in Herkimer

County, most of the land is used for dairy farms, beef operations, and in some parts there are hay fields. Agriculture in the county has changed over time. In the past there were a large number of small farms with only about 20 – 100 cows on it. Now, although there are not as many farms, the existing farms are very large. There are a couple of issues that impact the soil in Herkimer County. These issues are erosion and compaction (Gerry Smithson, Technician). Although these are not major issues, environmentalists are still watching to make sure nothing major occurs within the soil that could be impacted by erosion and compaction. There are programs within Herkimer

County to help educate students about the environment, what they can do now, and what they can do in the future. High school students in the county are heavily involved in the Envirothon. There are also some programs within the Herkimer Soil and Water

Conservation to educate students. The Herkimer Soil and Water Conservation has a farm and home safety day, local Envirothon, NYS Envirothon, and a Conservation Field

Day all to help educate students (Herkimer County SWCD).

16 Water is also an important part of the environment and the quality of life of people. For people, water protects your heart, boosts the brain, saves money, helps you lose weight, and keeps you alert (Grace). Fresh water is one of the most vital resources and when it is polluted, it is not only devastating to the environment, but also for human health. The

US depends on public water systems to treat and deliver just over 44 billion gallons of clean water every day to homes, schools, and businesses (Grace). About 43 million people in the US rely on their own personal drinking water supplies from groundwater wells (Grace). Herkimer County is part of two watersheds; the Black River Watershed and the Mohawk River Watershed. These watersheds both have different percentages of poor and good water quality. In the Mohawk River Watershed, the good and poor water quality is about the same. In this watershed the percentage for good water quality is 21 % and poor quality is 20 %. In the Black River Watershed, the good and poor water quality varies more. In this watershed the percentage for good water quality is 23

% and poor quality is 61 %. Overall, the water quality in Herkimer County tends to be good. See “County Environmental Health Indicators” for more information on the watersheds that Herkimer County is in.

Scientists at Oregon State University created a silicone bracelet with a porous surface that mimics a cell, acting as a pollution detector (Water Technology). The surface absorbs chemicals that we are all exposed to. Kim Anderson, a professor in OSU’s

College of Agricultural Sciences said, “Eventually, these bracelets may help us link possible health effects to chemicals in our environment” (Water Technology). If these bracelets can help us detect health effects, we may be able to act on the chemicals in the environment. According the article “Rubber bracelets could detect water, air, food pollution”, thirty volunteers, including roofers, wore the bracelets for a month and the

17 wristbands were able to detect nearly 50 chemical compounds, including fragrances, personal care products, flame-retardants, pesticides, caffeine, nicotine, chemicals from pet flea medicines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Water Technology). The bracelets are not yet available to the public and can not detect some metals including lead and chromium or gases such as carbon monoxide. If these bracelets become available to the public, these could make an immense difference in the future of environmental epidemiology.

CASE STUDY 3: QUALITY OF LIFE FROM LACK OF JOBS AND POPULATION

Herkimer County’s population has remained relatively constant over the past 200 years.

The chart below shows the population from 1800 – 2012.

Years Population Percent Increase/ Decrease

1800 14, 479 ------1810 22, 046 52.3 % 1820 31, 017 40.7 % 1830 35, 870 15.6 % 1840 37, 477 4.5 % 1850 38, 244 2.0 % 1860 40, 561 6.1 % 1870 39, 929 -1.6 % 1880 42, 669 6.9 % 1890 45, 608 6.9 % 1900 51, 049 11.9 % 1910 56, 356 10.4 % 1920 64, 962 15.3 % 1930 64, 006 -1.5 % 1940 59, 527 -7.0 % 1950 61, 407 3.2 % 1960 66, 370 8.1 % 1970 67, 633 1.9 % 1980 66, 714 -1.4 % 1990 65, 797 -1.4 % 2000 64, 427 -2.1 %

18 2010 64, 519 0.1 % Est. 2012 64, 508 0.0 % The information within this table was retrieved from the Census Bureau – Census of

Population and Housing

There are some years such as 1910 – 1920 and 1930 – 1940 that the population changed by about 6,000. During the years that there were dramatic changes, many people were moving into the area because there were many industries starting to open up and people were moving into the area and buying homes (Turnpike). The people that were moving in were working in the industries. When the industries began to close, the population began to decrease because many people moved out of the area. The current population in Herkimer County is older people who have grown up in the county and stayed throughout their lives (Herkimer Population). 96.9 % of people living in Herkimer

County right now are white alone. In New York State, white alone is 71.2 % (Census

Bureau). The current population also tends to be people that do not have a higher education. Many people with college educations have moved out of the area and into areas with more jobs and more complex jobs. The value of the homes in Herkimer

County, as well as the amount of money that people are making is considerably less than the New York State average. The median value of home in the county is around

$92,300, while the New York State average is $295,300 (Census Bureau). People are also making less money in Herkimer County. In the county, the average income per capita is $23,129, while the New York State average is $32,104 (Census Bureau).

A large amount of the land in Herkimer County is farmland which limits the number of jobs available other than on farms. According the Census Bureau, in 2011 the private nonfarm employment was 11,659. In 2011, New York State was 7,369,731. Herkimer

County is a very small private nonfarm employment. The farms that are now in the

19 county are very large and can accommodate many jobs, but there are not as many farms left in Herkimer County anymore.

Herkimer County tries to provide its residents opportunities by providing art centers, education, and transportation by highways, bus, air, water, and railway. Herkimer

County also has many health care facilities (Herkimer County Chamber). Residents in

Herkimer County have much offered to them to help improve their quality of life.

CONCLUSION

A county can frequently be unobserved. Individuals notice officials of their city and state, but do not think about the county government. Counties are a vital element of the government organization by providing services directly to citizens. There are a couple key features of the soil in Herkimer County. There are two main types of soil; one in the north and the other in the south. The one in the north is primarily sandy granite rock and the one in the south is mainly bedrock. Overall, the environmental health of Herkimer

County is very good. There are not many environmental issues that pose a major issue.

The cancer in the area has been one of the only major issues in Herkimer County.

Although not much has been found about the cancer, there are multiple organizations looking into the matter for more information.

One possible cause for the lack of environmental problems in the county is that Herkimer

County has a very small population, but the land area is very large. People are spread out in Herkimer County and it makes it harder for there to be issues in one area. One of the only other unhealthy components of Herkimer County is the Black River Watershed,

20 which most of Herkimer County lies in. The Black River Watershed has poor quality

lakes and rivers.

There are a few programs within Herkimer County that are helping the environmental

health of the county. The Envirothon educates students about the environment in the

county. There are also a few programs within the Herkimer County Soil and Water

Conservation that help educate people to help the environmental health of Herkimer

County. They have farm and home safety days and conservation field day.

The most important environmental challenge that people in Herkimer County should be

concerned about and work on in the years ahead is the health of watersheds. Citizens

can prevent inputs of pollution, there can be better waste management, laws towards

industry, and cooperation with surrounding counties. It is also important for people to

know that watersheds do not end at county lines, so people in one county can also be

sharing the watershed(s) they are part of with other counties. Soil and water health is

very important to farms because people need soil and water to grow anything on farms:

without soil and water, there would be no farms. Farms in Herkimer County are keeping

people employed, and without employment, people will be moving out of the area and

the population will begin decrease again.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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