January 17, 2006

GOVERNOR SUBMITS “GREENEST” BUDGET IN RECENT MEMORY

Albany, New York — Environmental Advocates of New York today praised Governor Pataki for proposing a budget that addresses some of the state’s most pressing environmental challenges, while looking ahead to find new ways of meeting the state’s energy needs.

“This budget may be his ‘greenest’ in terms of spending and his environmental legacy,” said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Environmental Advocates.

At the top of Environmental Advocates’ list of good news in the budget was the Governor’s commitment to adding 43 new positions to the understaffed Department of Environmental Conservation. Of these, seven will be in the state’s wetlands program, 15 will be focused on the stewardship of state lands, and 21 will be distributed between the state’s dam safety and water pollution control programs — programs that were found lacking due to staffing reductions that were documented in Environmental Advocates’ Endangered Agency reports of the past two years.

According to Moore, “Governor Pataki has a responsibility to begin rebuilding the DEC and we’re happy to see him propose much-needed increases in staffing in these critical areas.”

Another top priority for the Environmental Advocates, and the environmental community as a whole, was increasing the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The Governor did not disappoint, and announced his proposal to increase the EPF by another 20%, to a record high of $180 million. The fund was increased from $125 million to $150 million last year. This year’s EPF includes new funds for work on the Great Lakes and ocean issues, more than double the funds for public access and stewardship projects, $5 million in new grants for municipal water quality improvements, and $2 million for the control of invasive species.

“The Governor’s proposed increase for the EPF is a tremendous boost to conservation efforts in New York State,” said Moore. “It’s great to see how he and the legislature have worked together to grow the EPF.”

The Governor’s budget proposal reflects his interest in new ideas for meeting the New York’s energy needs, as did his State of the State address two weeks ago. He proposed three measures that are clearly win-win for the environment and consumers: tax credits for purchasers of hybrid vehicles and for homeowners who update to more efficient home heating systems, and a sales tax exemption on Energy Star™ appliances. Biofuels were a major theme again, as the Governor’s budget includes $20 million for a cellulosic ethanol plant and other proposals that would encourage the use of biofuels like ethanol and bio-diesel. With two ethanol plants already under construction in New York, and the differences among various production methods for ethanol, Environmental Advocates will be giving these proposals a close look.

Funds were also proposed for a controversial coal gasification power plant pilot project and a carbon sequestration project.

Moore responded to the proposals by stating, “Governor Pataki to date has put New York on track for clean electricity – improving standards to cut power plant emissions, increasing investment in energy efficiency, and boosting the use of wind, solar and other renewables. But coal, whose mining inflicts enormous damage to the nation’s lands and thousands of miles of streams, doesn’t fit with that vision.”

“All in all the Governor has proposed a budget that builds his environmental legacy and addresses some of our biggest challenges,” said Moore. “Now it falls to the legislature, and groups like ours, to read the fine print.”