April 16, 2007

Welcome to Environmental Advocates of New York’s online newsletter from the State Capital, your source for environmental news. We’ll update you every other week with tidbits and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.

See No Pollution, Say There's No Pollution, Regulate No Pollution

Late last week Albany was abuzz thanks to a report by Environmental Advocates of New York that exposed New York’s failure to regulate over 90 percent of the water pollution discharges in the state. 

That’s not a misprint...90 PERCENT!  We’re talking about facilities that cumulatively release billions of gallons of pollution every day.   

The report, entitled Muddying the Waters: the Unknown Consequences of New York's Failed Water Pollution Permitting Program documents the ill-conceived system for regulating water pollution that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has had in place for about 15 years. 

Thanks to the investigations of Tim Sweeney, our Regulatory Watch Program Director, Environmental Advocates uncovered the DEC’s very own inconvenient truth...that over 1,150 water pollution sources hadn’t undergone a technical review in over a decade, in direct violation of the federal Clean Water Act. 

For the full report click here. 

Why? Well, it gets back to Governor Pataki’s decision to let go 700-800 scientists, engineers, and enforcement officials at the DEC over the past decade or so. Without adequate staff, the agency simply punted its legal responsibilities to regulate billions and billions of gallons of water pollution that’s released to our lakes and streams every day. 

And these aren’t small discharges of water pollution.  Take for instance a 76 million gallon a day sewage treatment plant in Hempstead on Long Island and Eastman Kodak’s chemical plant in Rochester. 

Climate Change in Albany

We’re not talking about the political climate (although that could always use a little change).  No, we’re talking about actual climate change...global warming...that whole, “we must stop burning fossil fuels because the planet it heating up,” kinda climate change.

 This week Assemblymen Robert Sweeney and Mike Gianaris introduced a package of bills that will help fight climate change, and make sure the revenues form the sale of pollution allowances under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are used for energy efficiency programs, green energy initiatives, and the like. 

 The bills, known as the Climate Change Solutions Program Act and the Climate Change Solutions Fund, would give specific statutory direction on how to invest state funds for fighting climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions from a whole host of sources. 

 For more on the bills go to “Bills in Play” below.

Bills in Play

Yeah...there’s a bunch of ‘em.  After 3 months of not much legislative action the next 10 weeks will be chock full ‘o action. For more information on these bills and to view our memos, visit http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/billratings.html.  Note: Each week's memos are posted at noon on Mondays.

Three Tree Bills:
SUPER BILL - The Wetlands Act (A7133)
SUPER BILL - The Community Preservation Act (A7333)
Recyclables in Landfills (A3318)
Burn Barrel Ban (A5457)
Great Lakes Compact (A7266)
 Climate Change Solutions Program Act/Climate Change Solutions Fund (A7365/A7366)

   Two Tree Bills:
Green Building Construction Act (A2005)
Smart Growth Infrastructure (A7335)
Climate Change Task Force (A7367)

One Tree Bill:
 Urban Pesticide Board (A5299)

  One Smokestack Bill:
  Adirondack Dead Timber (S1123)

Act Now

This week advocates from organizations around the state are gathering to lobby on behalf of the environmental community’s priority Super Bills.

If you couldn’t make it to town, but don’t want to be left out of the action, click here to tell your state legislators that you support the Super Bills, including the “opt-in” Community Preservation Act, the Wetlands Bill, and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. While you’re at it, make sure your elected officials support the Climate Change Solutions Program Act and the Climate Change Solutions Fund.

Earth Day Supplement: You Did It

Thank you to all of you who donated to our Earth Day supplement in the Legislative Gazette.  Thanks to your help, we reached are goal and will be able to publish a special section in the paper highlighting the environmental priority Super Bills, including the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.

The Rumor Mill

So the Community Preservation Act is back on the legislature’s mind.  Assemblyman Robert Sweeney is moving his version of the bill through his Environmental Conservation Committee next week.  The Senate version of the bill has been introduced by Senator Carl Marcellino. Unfortunately the Senate version of the bill’s never been allowed a vote on the Senate floor. 

 But around the halls of the Capitol there’s word of another bill being circulated in the Senate: one that may be able to get a vote in that house.

 Wish we could tell you more, but there’s a reason we call this section “The Rumor Mill”.

Other Bills Your Legislators are Considering (We Can't Tell You Why They're Being Considered, They Just Are)

Cutlery Museums. That's right, legislation that would provide for the, "establishment of certain cutlery and knife museums dedicated to cataloging, inventorying, exhibiting or displaying cutlery and knives for the promotion of art, education, history and science..."

That's right, this bill would put New York on the 'cutting edge' of museums around the country (cue rim shot please).