March 30, 2005

Environmental Advocates of New York
Natural Resources Defense Council
Sierra Club - Atlantic Chapter
The Nature Conservancy

Rushed Spending Plan Puts New Yorkersw at Risk
Environmentalists Call on Lawmakers to Drop Three Strikes Budget

(Albany, NY) - Leading statewide environmental groups agreed today that in the push to pass the budget by April 1st, New York's legislators are risking the state’s environment and quality of life. “In their rush to complete a budget by the March 31st deadline, state lawmakers and Gov. George Pataki are on the verge of crafting a bad budget that will set back efforts to protect New York’s natural resources and our families’ health,” said Environmental Advocates of New York Executive Director Robert Moore. “In fact, the budget they are pitching has three strikes for the environment, on environmental funding, renewable energy and wetlands protection.”

“Good government means taking responsible action to protect the environment and public health for all New Yorkers, not just rushing to meet a deadline at all costs,” said Natural Resources Defense Council Senior Attorney Katherine Kennedy.

Here are the three glaring areas where the legislative budget hurts New York’s environment:

• Environmental Protection Fund: The Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) is the key funding source for a host of environmental projects, from land protection in the Adirondacks, to saving family farms in the Hudson Valley, to the future of New York City’s Hudson River Park. The budget being negotiated by the Senate and Assembly does not include the EPF at all. “The Environmental Protection Fund must be fully funded and back in the budget to protect the quality of life for all New Yorkers,” said Nature Conservancy Director of Government Affairs Willie Janeway. “The Legislature and Governor should agree to a budget that includes at least $150 million in dedicated funding for the EPF.”
• Wetlands: The Assembly and the Governor both agree that the budget should include a program to protect New York’s critically important small, isolated wetlands from development and abuse. When approved, this program would direct and fund the state to protect small wetlands, something the Bush Administration in Washington, D.C., has refused to do. “The vast majority of New Yorkers drink water from public water supplies that come from reservoirs, lakes or rivers. These waters are extremely vulnerable to polluted runoff. Since wetlands naturally filter and clean polluted runoff, it is extremely disappointing that the Legislature is adopting a budget that continues to leave thousands of the state’s valuable wetlands vulnerable to destruction,” said Sierra Club Legislative Director John Stouffer.
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs At Risk: Without any public debate or input, the Legislature’s proposed budget makes a major change to the funding structure of the System Benefit Charge (SBC) program, New York’s most important energy efficiency and clean energy fund. The SBC is jointly administered by the state Public Service Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The Legislature has proposed to make these funds part of the annual budget process, potentially crippling the state’s ability to develop clean, renewable energy sources. Since 1998, the SBC has been a reliable source of funds for investment in energy conservation and the development of renewable energy. It has saved New York’s consumers millions of dollars in lower energy costs and saved lives and improved public health by reducing air pollution. This could also kill New York's new renewable energy program, which sets the goal of ensuring that 25 percent of New York’s electricity comes from renewable energy by 2013. “Putting the funds for these successful programs through the annual budget process puts them at risk of diversion to the general budget,” said Environmental Advocates of New York Global Warming Project Director Christine Vanderlan. “It will add unnecessary uncertainly and delay to new wind farms and clean energy sources in New York.”

Although the threat posed to New York’s environment by this budget is dire, the solution simply requires each of the three major negotiating parties to come to the table and finish their negotiations. “With a little more work, what is currently a disastrous budget for the environment could become something that all New Yorkers can be proud of,” NRDC’s Kennedy concluded. “For the sake of our families and the state’s environmental legacy, we call on Governor Pataki, Majority Leader Bruno and Speaker Silver to continue negotiations until New York’s water, air and public health are protected.”