President of Toxics Targeting Walter Hang announced the New York Parkinson's Prevention Campaign, urging Governor Hochul to remediate all trichloroethylene (TCE), environmental health hazards in strict compliance with state cleanup standards.

"We know a lot about what the regulatory requirements are, but most importantly, we know how to alert citizens to join together, to take collective action that the law be enforced. It's as simple as that. And that's how come our campaign is so incredibly effective," said Hang.

TCE is a chemical commonly used in degreasing agents for home improvement projects like painting and metal plating. It has been linked to a 500% increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease, an incurable disease that has taken the lives of over 20,000 New Yorkers over the last 20 years.

Hang said, "If we can achieve this goal in New York by basically holding the responsible parties liable, and they all have insurance coverage, typically because they operated for decades and decades before the 1983 cutoff; so if we can protect public health from TCE hazards that can cause Parkinson's in New York, we can replicate that from coast to coast."

Toxics Targeting is calling on New Yorkers diagnosed with Parkinson's to complete a questionnaire to help determine whether TCE exposure may have increased their risk and whether they have grounds for legal action against the responsible parties.

"If you live near a TCE site, if you worked at a place where they used or handled or disposed of TCE, you have a vested interest in filling out the questionnaire, making sure you're not exposed to TCE going forward because that can impact your health," Hang said.

Hang is encouraging the community to visit the Toxics Targeting website and sign the coalition letter to Governor Hochul in support of this campaign