NY'S ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY FORCED TO CUT OVERSIGHT OF OIL & CHEMICAL SPILLS
Environmental Advocates of New York has done a little research and we uncovered that based on the Governor’s proposed budget cuts the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will soon be forced to cut responses to oil spills by more than half and inspections of petroleum and chemical storage facilities by 25 percent. And this is despite the fact that half of the agency’s inspections last year turned up violations.
According to the DEC’s website, drinking water supplies in hundreds of cities and towns across the state have been rendered useless because of unchecked spills and chemical contamination. Click here to download our report.
Unless state lawmakers restore the DEC’s budget, the agency will have less than half the funds on hand for inspection site visits and equipment to support oversight than in 2007-2008, down to $63 million from $127 million.
The DEC keeps New Yorkers safe from oil and chemical spills by ensuring accidental spills and leaks don’t happen in the first place. These accidents are most often the result of poor maintenance, overfilled tanks, mistakes and lack of inspection. And that’s exactly what will result from fewer DEC staff and resources.
New York’s leaders need to get their priorities in order and keep—not cut—critical DEC staff and resources.
And that’s not all. If the Governor’s cuts aren’t restored during budget negotiations, the DEC will be forced to rely increasingly on polluters to self-report the release of toxic substances. In the past, this has led to biased samples and incomplete reports. Pesticide sample inspections will be impacted by the Governor’s budget proposal, as well. Cuts to laboratory supplies will mean fewer samples will be processed and there will be weaker enforcement of state laws regarding pesticides. Earlier this year, DEC inspections revealed that a landowner in Allegany County had killed two bald eagles with illegal pesticides.
In a series of reports on the state of the DEC, Agency in Crisis, Environmental Advocates uncovered steep declines in resources dedicated to environmental programs. When accounting for inflation, operating funds for the DEC have declined 11 percent since 2005-2006. The agency, which has lost more than 400 staff over the last three years, will lose another 83 staff due to attrition and the Governor’s hiring freeze this year alone, leaving it hard-pressed to protect public health and safety with 700 fewer staff than it had 20 years ago.
The question is: will the State Legislature do anything about it?
Click here to tell your representatives in Albany to restore critical funding to the DEC.
EPA TO START STUDY ON NATURAL GAS DRILLING
Late last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will take a closer look at the environmental and health impacts of natural gas drilling by means of hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.”
The oil and gas industry is eager to start exploration in New York State’s Marcellus and Utica shale formations. But we’re not interested in giving anybody the green light until the State puts strong safeguards in place to protect New York’s resources. Because each time a new well is drilled, or fracked, two to eight million gallons of water laced with toxic chemicals are required. With thousands of wells proposed, that means billions of gallons of water will be used every year! Withdrawing this volume of water from local waterways and aquifers could devastate sensitive habitats and drinking water.
Recent events in Pennsylvania show how dangerous fracking can be when it’s not properly regulated.
Although the EPA’s study could take months to complete, it shines a bright light on the potential dangers of fracking, especially with regard to water quality.
New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation is currently reviewing the more than 13,000 public comments the agency received on a draft drilling guide to oversee the practice. And several state legislators have introduced bills that would regulate such drilling.
Click here to read more.
SHOW SOME LOVE
Earlier this month, Environmental Advocates, working with dozens of other organizations, launched the statewide “We Love New York” campaign. We Love New York calls on state leaders to show their love for the Empire State by restoring the Environmental Protection Fund to $222 million during budget negotiations.
Click here to learn more about the campaign.
The Governor cut the Fund by $69 million, or a third, in his budget proposal, jeopardizing or shutting down hundreds of projects across the state. The Fund helps ensure the health and safety of New York’s air and water, updates sewage treatment facilities, keeps working farms operating, preserves historic heritage and open space, maintains zoos and parks, revitalizes waterfronts, monitors pesticide use, and much more.
Here are two easy ways that you can show your “love,” too:
Join us in Albany this Wednesday, March 24th to tell state lawmakers face-to-face that New York’s environment matters to you. Contact Alison Jenkins at ajenkins@eany.org for more information.
Call State Senate Leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver on Thursday, March 25th, and tell them to restore our Environmental Protection Fund. Click here for details and tips on what you should say.
To learn more about the We Love New York campaign and what you can do to help, visit www.KeepProtectingNY.org.
GET RECOGNIZED
Apply by May 21, 2010, to get some recognition for your efforts to make New York State more sustainable. The application brochure for the 7th annual Environmental Excellence Awards is available now, just visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/public/945.html. For a hard copy, contact the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Pollution Prevention Unit at (518) 402-9469 or email eeawards@gw.dec.state.ny.us.
FORMER STAFFER NOW GOV'S DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENT
Former staff member at Environmental Advocates of New York, Pete Iwanowicz, has been tapped as Governor Paterson’s new Deputy Secretary for the Environment. As such, he’ll be responsible for representing the Governor on a range of environmental policy matters, including climate change, natural resource protection, and clean air and water.
Prior to his current position, Pete was the first Director of the New York State Office of Climate Change. Before joining state government, Pete served as Vice President for the American Lung Association of New York State. He has also worked for the San Francisco-based Resource Renewal Institute promoting sustainability policies in New York State. And at Environmental Advocates, Pete led our clean air and clean energy policy work.
Pete replaces Judith Enck as Deputy Secretary. Judith is one of Environmental Advocates’ past executive directors. Judith is now the Region 2 Director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
BILLS ON THE MOVE
It’s that time again! Every week during the Legislative Session, Environmental Advocates of New York looks at the measures that will impact the environment for good or ill. Here are this week's Bills on the Move:
SUPER BILL! Three trees for the Global Warming Pollution Control Act. This bill would reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions from all sources by 80 percent by the year 2050.
SUPER BILL! Three trees for Electronic Waste Recycling. This bill would require manufacturers of toxic “e-waste” to collect and recycle a portion of their products.
SUPER BILL! Three trees for Environmental Access to Justice. This bill would allow groups or individuals to challenge State Environmental Quality Review Act decisions if they can demonstrate that they will suffer injury from a proposed projects’ environmental impact, without having to show that the harm they will suffer is different than that suffered by the public at large.
And one not-so-good bill on the move:
Three smokestacks for a new Dirty Coal Plant for New York State. This bill would fast track a not-so “clean coal” plant in Jamestown, NY. Almost all of the project’s original backers, including the power industry and the federal government, have backed away from this dirty, expensive and unnecessary piece of political pork. Why people continue to pursue this is a mystery to us.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK IS A MEMBER OF EARTH SHARE OF NEW YORK
Environmental Advocates is a member of EarthShare, a federation of the nation’s most respected environmental charities. To find out more about how and your workplace can support Environmental Advocates through an EarthShare campaign, please call us at 518.462.5526, or visit www.earthshare.org. To donate through EarthShare, designate your donation to Environmental Advocates of New York, CFC #97425.
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