Monroe County Environmental Assessment Dimitri Cerrone 3 rd grade Tamarac Elementary School

The Location of Monroe County  Monroe county is Located in the western side of NY.  The western side of Monroe County is rural and the eastern side is urban.  Lake Ontario borders Monroe County.

The Rivers and Watersheds  The Genesee river runs through my county.  My watersheds are the Great Lakes & St. Lawrence river.

Mountains The Poconos mountains are in my county. A fun fact is that the Poconos start in Pennsylvania and run all the way up through New York.

The Tribes of the 1600’s The Senecan tribe lived in my county. Other nearby tribes were Erie, Cayuga, and Onondaga. A fact is that a Senecan house can be hundreds of feet long!

Habitats Hamlin beach and Lake Ontario are the main habitats located in Monroe county. Pollution is a big challenge because of PCBs and mercury. Erosion is a big problem because it can cause the land to shrink in. Invasive species are also a problem because they can cause issues in the food chain.

Main Industries of Monroe County  These are the top three industries:  Health care { 15.9% }  Educational services { 14.1% }  Manufacturing { 11.7 }  The challenges are that they produce waste and pollution, and are a huge consumer of electricity and energy each year.

Water & Soil Profile of Monroe  Challenges in my county are over- development and pollution, such as over-fertilization/pesticide use.  A good response is to reduce pollution from fertilizers, manufacturing, chemicals, and leaks  Also, conserve water by using less in our home.  An example would be using high- efficiency washing machines.

The Energy Mix  Monroe County gets energy today from Nuclear (28.9%), Hydroelectric (28.2%), Gas (22.2%), Coal (15.3%), Renewables (4.3%), and Oil (0.8%).  Much of the hydroelectric power comes from the Genesee River and Lake Ontario.  Monroe County has a high potential for developing wind power.

Waste Management  A challenge for the transfer stations and landfills in Monroe County is that they will run out of room soon.  A proper response would be more education for the people in Monroe County.  Also, add more composting services provided by the governments in Monroe County. The governments of Monroe County should create more waste-to-energy plants and fewer landfills.

Climate Smart Communities and Envirothon Competition  Seven high schools in Monroe County have participated in the Envirothon Competition  A climate smart community is one that helps the government reduce greenhouse gases, and helps the community deal with climate change.  City of Rochester  Town of Irondequoit

Fun Facts about my County…  The 1920s were a very active time for film stars in Rochester-- Mickey Rooney began his career here, Bette Davis was fired from a theatre stock group, and Bud Abbott managed a theatre here before being paired with Lou Costello  In the 1930s, Jay Silverheels, best known as "Tonto," attended high school in Rochester while Kirk Douglas worked in a steel mill here.