11th Hour Successes On Environmental Legislation In Albany

Subtitle:

Progress on bills that had been in logjam for years

Contact:

Dan Hendrick, (212) 361-6350, ext. 206

Release Information:

June 25, 2008

Teaser:

The State Senate and Assembly have adjourned, and it is clear from the past six months of hectic debate and negotiation that the environment has reached a new level of recognition in Albany's political dialog. Significant legislation passed in the session's 11th hour, including brownfields and traffic reform, tax credits for green roofs and solar energy, solid waste management and green buildings.

Body:

This year's legislative session in Albany was rocked by a number of political earthquakes, from the resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer to the announcement of Sen. Joe Bruno’s retirement. Despite this exciting and dramatic context, we are happy to report that our partners in government made significant progress on environmental legislation.

In January, we presented the Legislature and the governor with our “Blueprint for a Greener New York State, [0]” one of our most comprehensive and aggressive policy agendas to date. We entered this session determined to work with our representatives in Albany and make a real effort to address climate change, and we’re proud to say that they’ve responded.

Among the biggest successes in Albany this session were:

· Creation of a new net metering law that allows commercial properties to sell their excess energy back to the grid and increases the number of technologies they can use to generate power.
· Passage of New York City tax credits for solar installations and green roofs, which will make it easier for city property owners to make their buildings sustainable.
· Establishment of a Statewide Energy Planning Board tasked with developing a comprehensive game plan for a cleaner energy future.
· Reform of the state’s poorly performing brownfields cleanup program.
· Approval of the Gansevoort Marine Transfer Station in Manhattan. This station is part of the city’s larger Solid Waste Management Plan and is a critical component of New York City’s new equitable and environmentally friendly waste management strategy.
· Passage of an important congestion-busting measure that will help clear tangled New York City intersections and reduce air pollution.
· Restoration of the bioheat tax credit.
· Increased funding for the Environmental Protection Fund.
· Passage of the Great Lakes Compact.

Our supporters' e-mails, letters and phone calls in support of our advocacy were absolutely invaluable in putting together these legislative victories.

However, much more still needs to be done. The Legislature failed to adopt a congestion pricing plan and left Albany without fixing the gaping hole in the MTA’s budget. Stay tuned to updates [0] on our efforts to address these serious problems.