
GOALS OF ATFE
The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment has the following goals:
- To develop training programs within Akwesasne that promote waste management
including composting and recycling and to coordinate community clean-up
efforts, such as roadside, river front and underwater clean-ups;
- To develop and promote sustainable development projects such as aquaculture
projects, family gardens, orchards and tree planting.;
- To coordinate and maintain the monthly meetings of the ATFE, a grassroots
pollution prevention task force within Akwesasne which serves to address
community concerns relative to industrial pollution from nearby ALCOA,
General Motors and Reynolds Aluminum as well as local commercial and residential
pollution.
- To maintain multilevel pollution prevention education for small businesses
within Akwesasne.
- To improve and continue to implement the process developed by the ATFE
which addresses pollution prevention within the territory of Akwesasne
that will be incorporated into federal, state and tribal institutional
structures to ensure that pollution prevention is incorporated into decision
making and planning.
- To develop an effective operating structure for the ATFE, Inc. based
on input from the grassroots organization, the ATFE that ultimately serves
to protect the Mohawks at Akwesasne from further exposure to industrial
and commercial contaminants.
- To develop a long term funding strategy for the maintenance of a pollution
prevention program for the Mohawks at Akwesasne which addresses not only
industrial pollution but also residential commercial pollution issues.
- To document and develop an evaluation process on the progress and impact
of the ATFE, Inc.
- To continue to train Mohawks in education and counseling to enable
Mohawk people to survive and flourish in an environment polluted by nearby
industries.
- To provide education on pollution prevention, sustainable development
and waste management to the Akwesasne Youth Council and other youth groups
to reach diverse communities and households - particularly at risk groups.
- To continue to identify opportunities and volunteer liaisons within
the Mohawk territory that generate public involvement and empowerment.
- To continue to develop educational modules and packages for training
and distribution to programs, schools and local businesses.
- To issue a newsletter and/or write articles for local media that are
designed to inform the Mohawk people about pollution issues as well as
to promote local pollution prevention activities.
- To network with other environmental professionals on pollution prevention
issues.
- To network with other Iroquois Confederacy communities on pollution
prevention issues.
- To act as a liaison between the Superfund projects, State University
of New York at Albany and the ATFE, Inc.
- To maintain environmental monitoring of the Mohawk territory by coordinating
the sampling and analysis of air, water and soils by the ATFE's laboratory
trailer.
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