For Immediate Release: February 8, 2002
Contact: Jeff Jones, Environmental Advocates: (518) 462-5526 ext 233

Seeing the Light

(Albany, NY) - (Albany, NY) – In a veto message released last Friday afternoon (2/1/02), Gov. George Pataki announced his decision to pocket veto the historic Dark Skies light pollution bill passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and the Assembly last year. As a 30-day bill that landed on the Governor's desk on Dec. 31, 2001, the Governor officially has until close of business today to sign the bill into law. It is unfortunate that he has decided to pass up this opportunity to put New York in the forefront of a major emerging environmental initiative. In cities like Los Angeles, California, Tucson, Arizona and Calgary, Alberta, municipal laws have been passed to control the wasted use of night lighting. Reports from those locations indicate that the laws are working: night sky visibility is returning, energy is being saved, and energy costs have been reduced. Indeed, New York's Dark Skies bill was the only piece of legislation approved in the last session that actually addressed the issue of energy conservation.

The Governor's veto came at a time when support for the Dark Skies bill was growing among environmental, conservation and night sky advocates. Environmental Advocates of New York (EANY) regrets the Governor's decision and expresses our thanks to sponsors Assemblymember Alexander "Pete" Grannis and Sen. Michael Balboni, who not only worked hard to win passage of the bill, but were working to address the Governor's concerns about the legislation. The veto message came as a shock to all of those who were open to a compromise already on committee agendas as chapter amendments to last year's popular bill.

EANY is today releasing the official statement from SELENE-NY (Sensible and Efficient Lighting to Enhance the Nighttime Environment), the organization of Dark Sky advocates leading the fight to control light pollution, in response to the Governor's veto. A second document analyzes the veto message. It highlights several inaccuracies in the veto message as well as addressing changes that were being negotiated at the time of the veto.

SELENE Statement on the Governor's February 1st veto