Lead is a poisonous heavy metal that causes significant adverse health effects, particularly in children. Unfortunately, Governor Hochul’s FY25 Executive Budget proposal slashed clean water funding by 50%, from $500 million to $250 million. With new programs like getting more lead out of school drinking water are coming online, now is the time to grow and not cut the clean water funding.

This commonsense law is a foundational step towards transparency and action. By mandating that data regarding lead pipe locations be made accessible to the public online, New Yorkers will be empowered with the knowledge of potential risks in their area and the ability to protect themselves and their families.

The chairs of the Health Committee of the New York State Legislature -- Senator Gustavo Rivera and Assemblymember Amy Paulin – have introduced legislation, S.5512 / A. 6115 known as the “Lead Pipe Right to Know Act.” This bill will make information about the number and location of lead pipes easily accessible to the public and decision-makers, so that state and federal resources can be secured and efficiently disbursed to local efforts to get the lead out of New York’s drinking water by removing all lead pipes. 

We’re all familiar with the yellow school buses of our childhood: the rattling sounds of metal, the squeals of our peers, leather seats that had seen better days. Their presence was an integral part to so many childhoods – so what’s being changed? Transportation is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in New York, accounting for a third of total overall emissions. Not only are these emissions harming the planet, but research has shown that they are also harming New York’s children, leading to higher levels of asthma. 

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities are continuously burdened by the cumulative impacts of multiple hazardous environmental facilities being placed in their communities. Historically, minority communities and economically distressed communities have borne a disproportionate and inequitable share of environmental facilities such as landfills, waste transfer stations, and fossil fuel power plants. These industrial facilities cause significant health impacts such as asthma, lung and heart disease, increased birth defects, and learning impairments. The negative health impacts of poor air quality, polluted waters, toxic gasses, and more are exacerbated in these communities as a result of the cumulative burden of multiple sites. This bill addresses a fundamental issue of environmental racism, that communities of color should not have all the environmental hazardous facilities sited in their neighborhoods.

On January 26, NYLCV participated in Lead-Free Kids NY’s advocacy day. Lead-Free kids is a statewide coalition working to end New York’s childhood lead exposure crisis through advocating for state level policy solutions. While lead paint was banned in the United States in 1978, the old housing stock in New York leaves our citizens vulnerable to lead exposure. Because the current corrective policies have left loopholes for landlords to escape testing and renovation, many New York children have unknowingly been exposed to lead. Lead exposure  puts our youngest New Yorkers at risk of their health as well as their learning and behavioral milestones being stunted. With that in mind, the day’s agenda consisted of both policy priorities and a bold $1 Billion budget to ensure no New York resident will have their health compromised by lead exposure. 

Late last week City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced her appointees for committee chairs. The most important chairs to keep an eye on for sustainability, and building a greener city, are those for environmental protection, transportation, parks, sanitation, and resiliency. Housing, health, and finance are also important chairs that can help facilitate environmental legislation.