Good news can be very hard to find these days. That’s why we take great pleasure in taking
an opportunity to highlight some very good news. The New York State budget, which was passed in early April, has provided some major victories for New York’s environment and public health. Furthermore, the investments being made now through the budget will create good jobs and help to rebuild a sustainable economy in the years to come.
CCE priorities in the final budget include:
$3 Billion Environmental Bond Act: This funding will help our communities become more resilient to the challenging impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, sea level rise, drought, and extreme heat, as well as restoring natural systems and protecting clean water for all New Yorkers. The bond act will also help to create good-paying jobs and rebuild our economy at a time when we need it the most.
While we celebrate the approval of the bond act in the budget, it is important to
note that it will also need to be approved by the voters in November. New York has not proposed an environmental bond act since 1996. The 96’ Clean Water Clean Air Bond Act was soundly approved by the voters, leading to over two decades of increased environmental protections and sustainable economic development across New York State. Come November of this year, New York voters will once again have an opportunity to go to the polls and support a bond act that will make lasting environmental improvements for our state!
$500 million for clean water infrastructure: Increased investments in drinking water infrastructure helps our communities provide clean drinking water to residents, install technology to treat drinking water for new and emerging contaminants that are being discovered in water sources across the state (e.g. PFOA, PFOS, & 1,4-dioxane), and keep drinking water affordable. Investments in wastewater infrastructure help to reduce harmful sewage overflows, which cause beaches to close, hurt local economies, kill fish and wildlife, and put public health at risk.
This new allocation of $500 million is in addition to the five-year, $2.5 billion investment from 2017, as well as an additional $500 million from last year. These investments are going a long way in addressing New York’s enormous clean water infrastructure needs, while also driving economic development and creating jobs. It is estimated that every billion dollars invested in water infrastructure creates approximately 29,000 jobs!
Funding the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) at $300 million: Since 1993, the EPF has been New York’s most important source of environmental funding, benefiting every community in the state from Western New York to the eastern tip of Long Island. EPF projects protect drinking water, build community parks, save family farms, bolster recycling programs, revitalize waterfronts, and so much more. The EPF has played a critical role in preserving open space throughout New York. The importance of open space protection is as important as ever, as New Yorkers look for opportunities to get out of the house and go outside while maintaining safe social distancing. Furthermore, open space protection has proved to be an economic driver—research has shown that for every $1 of EPF funds invested in land conservation, $7 in goods and services is returned to NYS.
Ban on Styrofoam food packaging and packaging peanuts: Styrofoam litters our communities and pollutes our waters. Styrofoam containers are one of the most prevalent items found during beach cleanups. These containers don’t biodegrade; instead they break down into tiny microplastics that eventually pollute our waterways.
Styrofoam is also a threat to our health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program listed styrene, a chemical in EPS foam, as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It is known to leach from food packaging containers into food and drinks, especially when exposed to heat. There is no need to continue using this antiquated product when safe and environmentally friendly alternatives are readily available.
Permanent ban on fracking: While Governor Cuomo wisely instituted a regulatory ban on fracking in 2015, this permanent ban—established in law—will help ensure the dangerous process of fracking for gas will not be taken up by future administrations.
Streamlined renewable energy siting: In 2019, New York State passed the strongest climate bill in the nation, known as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Among other important mandates, the law requires 70% of our electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2030, a carbon-free electrical grid by 2040, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Meeting these critical mandates will require significantly ramping up large-scale renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar. Regrettably, our current process for siting renewable energy projects is broken, with construction of a project taking 5-10 years, or worse, developers simply walking away from some projects after excessive delays. The new policy enacted in the budget will help a backlog of renewable energy projects move forward in a timely manner, while allowing for local community input and ensuring strong environmental protections. This important policy is essential for New York to meet our clean energy and climate goals!
These victories did not happen with luck or by accident; they took hard work and leadership. Despite difficult circumstances and working remotely, our dedicated staff has continued to work tirelessly to fight for our environmental priorities. Elected officials, who are working around the clock to address urgent needs related to the COVID-19 public health crisis, did not let that important responsibility distract them from also addressing key environmental issues. Special thanks go out to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Todd Kaminsky, and Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for their leadership to ensure environmental priorities were included in the final budget. And last, but certainly not least, we thank you. CCE’s strength has always come from you—members of the public—to give us our grassroots power. Writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls, and more—all ensured that our elected officials kept important environmental issues at the forefront during budget negotiations.
While we celebrate full funding for our priority programs, we also remain grounded in the reality of our current situation, and recognize that adjustments may be made as the financial situation worsens throughout the year in New York State. We will remain vigilant in supporting these critical environmental programs, and will keep you informed every step of the way!