Yonkers Insider: New York League of Conservation Voters: Environmental News for February 22nd.

 

Here’s what we’re reading this week:

What Are Brownfields? While industrialization drove New York’s economy in the 20th century, many of the harsh chemicals and pollutants involved in industrial processes had a negative impact on the environment around industrial sites. These brownfields, leftover property where redevelopment is difficult due to the presence of contaminants, are located all over New York. New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), last reauthorized in 2015, is set to expire this year. This program facilitates brownfield cleanup initiatives in order to redevelop the property and encourage economic development.   Read More

NYC Needs Common Sense Waste Management Now New York City residents produce nearly 13,000 tons of waste every single day. 81% of this waste ends up in landfills and incinerators throughout the Northeast region. As the garbage decomposes, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The diesel trucks that transport this waste carry it a distance equivalent to driving more than 312 times around the Earth.  To combat these impacts, New York City has been working toward achieving their Zero Waste goal of eliminating all waste sent to landfills by 2030. This goal requires the reduction in volume of disposed goods, as well as the recovery and reuse of their materials. Read More

Every year, motor vehicles contribute approximately 11% of local fine particulate matter and 28% of nitrogen oxide emissions, which can trigger health problems such as asthma, reduced lung capacity, and increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infections. In order to combat this harm, one thing we must do is greatly increase the sale of zero-emission vehicles in New York. On a national level, President Biden’s historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the proposed Build Back Better Act provide a whole-of-government approach to implement climate-action policies. This includes the president’s goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers to accelerate the adoption of EVs that will reduce emissions and pollution, improve air quality, and create good-paying jobs across the country. This is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure, but New York may miss the opportunity to benefit from this investment due to state restrictions on the direct sale of zero-emission vehicles.   (Newsday)

NYLCV President Julie Tighe joined the Governor and many other elected officials, advocates, and local leaders for the groundbreaking of South Fork Wind, a project developed by Ørsted and Eversource.   Watch the press conference here! Gov. Kathy Hochul alongside United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and other elected officials, recently celebrated the start of construction of South Fork Wind, New York's first offshore wind project, jointly developed by Ørsted and Eversource off the coast of Long Island. Building on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) January issuance of the Final Sale Notice for the New York Bight, the recent key offshore wind contract milestone, and the State of the State announcement of a nation-leading $500 million investment in offshore wind ports, manufacturing, and supply chain infrastructure to accompany New York's next offshore wind solicitation, New York continues to advance the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035.   (Renewable Energy Magazine)

NYLCV's Carlos Castell Croke, Associate for New York City Programs, joined all five borough presidents to call on the mayor to plant a million new trees by 2030 and devote 1% of the city's budget to parks.  The city’s five borough presidents are also urging the mayor to honor a pledge to spend 1 percent of the municipal budget on parks. When Mayor Eric Adams named a commissioner last week to oversee New York’s parks department, he spoke of how important the city’s green spaces were for recreation and contemplation, especially during the pandemic. The city’s five borough presidents are now joining forces to give him an idea: On Monday, they will ask Mr. Adams to plant a million new trees by 2030, a revival of an ambitious and successful “million trees” initiative that started under former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and was completed under his successor, Bill de Blasio. The borough presidents will also ask Mr. Adams to honor his campaign pledge to devote 1 percent of the city’s budget to the parks department, which they describe as chronically underfunded.   (NY Times)