This past weekend, I participated in a cleanup at the beautiful Piermont Pier which juts into the Hudson River, a very important waterway. The sight that met me was disheartening - countless tiny pieces of styrofoam littered the area; an area that is detrimentally close to our precious water system and home to land and marine animals alike. Styrofoam, being non-biodegradable and light-weight, poses a serious threat to marine life and contributes significantly to pollution. A walk down the pier on any day of the week will demonstrate that the people fishing along the pier are using styrofoam coolers for their lunch and/or to put their daily catch into.

Styrofoam takes over 500 years to decompose and is often mistaken for food by marine animals leading to their death (source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). In addition, styrofoam production releases hydrofluorocarbons into the atmosphere which are over 1,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of their impact on global warming (source: Environmental Protection Agency).

This is not just about keeping our pier clean; it's about preserving our environment for future generations. We need immediate action in Piermont,  to ban the use of styrofoam coolers at the pier. By doing so we can reduce pollution levels and protect marine life.

Please sign this petition if you care about preserving our beautiful pier and protecting our environment and wildlife from further harm.