Committee Reports

VID Environmental Committee Report March 25, 2024

·         Announcing a VID FIELD TRIP TO: Sims Municipal Recycling (SMR) in Brooklyn scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 at 2:00pm (Limit is 30 people) bus pickup will be at a Village location. The Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility is located at 472 2nd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Nearest train station is at 25 St then walk down 29th street about 17 min, 0.8 mi. Stay tuned for additional details and the RSVP link.

 ·         A Fair Parks Rally & Petition was held on March 21 at City Hall by #PlayFair coalition including New Yorkers for Parks, NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS, and Local 1010 of DC37. Protesting budget and staffing cuts to NYC Parks. Despite an Adams Campaign promise to raise the Parks budget to 1% instead, the budget is at .05%.

 Use this link from United Thru Action to tell Mayor Adams: No Cuts to NYC Parks! 

New York State Legislature Votes to Ban CO2 Fracking, Closing a Decade-Old Loophole in State Law. The vote is a new win for the state’s anti-fracking movement, which sees the novel process to skirt a ban it pushed through ten years ago and heads off a Texas-based company that says it would produce net-zero natural gas and sequester carbon dioxide. The bill passed the state Assembly earlier this month by a margin of 98-50. On Wednesday, the bill passed the state Senate by a 46-16 vote, and it now awaits the signature of Governor Kathy Hochul. Read more HERE.

 ·         Hike Against Rate Hikes: Tuesday, March 26. Join Food & Water Watch, Sane Energy and other organizations for either the Hike and/or Rally , calling on Hochul to pass the NY HEAT Act in the budget. We’re kicking off a march at 9:00 am in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, followed by a rally at noon outside Hochul’s Manhattan office. Click here for details and to RSVP

On Wednesday, March 13, 2024, nearly 200 Renewable Heat Now campaign members and legislative allies rallied at the Capitol for the NY HEAT Act, engaging in a press conference, meeting legislators, and distributing supportive materials. Following budget proposals from the Senate and Assembly—with the Senate fully including the NY HEAT Act and the Assembly only partially supporting it (leaving out key provisions that end gas subsidies and allow utilities to begin to transition the gas system to heat pumps and thermal networks). Negotiations are now underway between both chambers and the Governor's office to fight to incorporate the act fully into the budget. Public support is essential to ensure the act's passage for cleaner heat and lower bills. Click here for more ways to get involved. 

ACTION! Call or send an email to your elected officials:

Fund the NY HEAT Act: Let's tell Speaker Heastie, Gov. Hochul and your state representative to fully incoproprate the NY HEAT ACT into the budget. Public support is essential to ensure the act's passage for cleaner heat and lower bills. Click here to send an email to your elected officials. For extra credit, call Speaker Heastie at (518) 455-3791.

More Legislative Updates: 

Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, Bill A5322B: Debrah Glick’s bill (sometimes known as EPR) Assembly has moved from the Assembly Environmental Committee to the Codes Committee.

Ban CO2 Fracking Bil,(A8866/ S8357): The Assembly passed the bill which bans  carbon dioxide (CO2) fracking in New York. It blocks the dangerous proposal to start fracking in the Southern Tier (8 counties in Upstate New York: Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Otsego, Cortland, Delaware, Schoharie, and Chenango).

Introduction 1505: New York City Council Voted to require cruise ships to connect to shore power when docked at terminals and plug into the city’s electric grid. This legislation is aimed at curbing harmful cruise ship emissions which are equivalent to thousands of trucks and impacting the community air quality.Councilmembers Erik Bottcher and Alexa Avilés sponsored the bill. 

For Environmental Committee's full report click here. 

Submitted by Nat Johnson, VID Chair Environmental Committee

Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act: Tuesday, February 13 State Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee voted to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. It is targeted to limit single-use plastic while seeking to remake waste management and recycling in New York by creating a more circular economy. The legislation would require a 50 percent reduction in plastic packaging waste in 12 years. Senate Bill S4246A is sponsored by State Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick.  Check out this article in Inside Climate News for a closer look. MANHATTAN, BROOKLYN, BRONX AND QUEENS SOLID WASTE ADVISORY BOARDS' PUBLIC HEARING AS PART OF THE NEW YORK STATE 2023 EXECUTIVE BUDGET.FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES (EASILY) CLICK HERE.

New York Bottle Bill: This bill died last session but the good news, it's been reintroduced by State Senator Rachel May, Senate Bill S237B. The legislation would add wine, liquor, distilled spirit coolers, and cider and wine products to the definition of "beverage"; the handling fee will be six cents for each beverage container accepted by a deposit initiator from a dealer or operator of a redemption center, and that the deposit and redemption amount will be ten cents. SB237B is currently with the NY Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. In addition, The Assembly Environmental Conservation bill S06869 requires the comptroller to retain, from revenues collected from unclaimed bottles, 2% of the total revenues collected in the prior calendar year for use towards expanding and creating bottle redemption centers under the beverage. This bill is currently with the Senate Finance Committee. 

Ban CO2 Fracking Bill: Good news! According to Food & Water Watch, Assemblymember Deborah Glick has fast-tracked the Ban CO2 Fracking Bill A8866/S8357 through the assembly’s Environment Committee. Next stop: the Assembly floor for a full vote. For more information, see  Food & Water Watch NYS Legislators Introduce New Bill to Ban CO2 Fracking & Drilling for Gas.