June 25, 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.

Hudson Valley Victory  

Talk about going down to the wire—less than one hour before leaving Albany for the summer (or at least for the next three weeks, according to some reports), the New York State Senate passed the Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act.

The bill squeaked through both houses at the last minute thanks in large part to the leadership of its sponsors, Senator Vincent Leibell (R-Brewster) and Assemblyman Adam Bradley (D-White Plains), as well as a groundswell of support from a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations, the Campaign for Community Preservation.

Modeled after the statewide Super Bill, the Community Preservation Act, the Hudson Valley CPA will give Westchester and Putnam municipalities the power to decide for themselves when and how to preserve their natural heritage, working farms, and historic architecture. The statewide bill has enjoyed the support of the Assembly and the majority of the Senate, but got quashed by leadership for the past two years.

The new bill that passed, while only covering two of New York’s fastest growing counties, can easily be amended once in law to add new counties, allowing the community preservation movement to keep spreading in the future.

Without a statewide measure, this bill breaks a logjam for giving more communities the option of setting up their own funds. Nine towns, Warwick, Red Hook, Chatham, and Fishkill, as well as five towns on the East End of Long Island, have already created their own stand-alone funds or are in the process of doing so.

Thanks to all of you who reached out to the legislature this year to support the Community Preservation Act.

More Green for the Greens

State lawmakers also passed the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) Enhancement Act, sponsored by Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay) and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst).  It is the biggest piece of legislation Sen. Marcellino has passed in a few years. 

This bill will increase the EPF up to nearly $300 million by 2010, using revenue from the state Real Estate Transfer Tax.

The EPF funds everything from state-led conservation efforts to recycling.

Feel the Power

Article X, the measure that governs power plant siting in New York, was among the most intractable issues facing lawmakers this year. A wide gulf historically exists between the concerns of the Senate and those of the Assembly with regard to balancing the state’s future energy needs and growing environmental concerns in light of climate change. Governor Spitzer introduced a version of the legislation that would fast track green sources of energy. None of these three parties ever saw eye to eye. As a result of a lot of energy (cue rim shot) was expended but no agreement was reached.

Environmental Bills Sent to the Governor's Desk 

The following bills memoed by Environmental Advocates of New York were passed by both the Senate and Assembly. For more information about the bills below, click here.

 

 Three Tree Bills:
EPF Enhancement Act
Hudson Valley Community Preservation Act

Two Tree Bill:
Climate Change Task Force

 One Tree Bills:
Chatham CPF
Home Heating System and Clean Fuel Tax Credits
Landlord Disclosure
LIPA Service Termination Fee Prohibition
Littering Fines
Refrigerator Replacement
Solar Energy System Tax Credits

Not that bill...this bill!

As the clock ticked down on the session a major piece of environmental legislation looked primed and ready to go--the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. With an agreement on the language, the legislation was sent down to the bill drafting office only to come back with the wrong language included--not once but twice! 

As a result, the bill could not age for the 3-day period required by the Constitution.  And given the friction between Governor Spitzer and the legislature, no waivers (known as Messages of Necessity) were forthcoming. 

 So sometimes it’s not politics that kills a bill, but simply human error. 

 We anticipate that the bill will be among the measures legislators address when they return to Albany later this summer.  The Compact is designed to protect the irreplaceable Great Lakes from water diversions.

Green Building

Citizens’ Environmental Coalition released a guide to help consumers weigh various environmental and health concerns when it comes to planning, building, renovating, and redecorating homes.

 According to the EPA, indoor air is often 5 times more polluted than outdoor air and many people spend up to 90% of time indoors. For more information, click here.