New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation
June 1, 2009
Welcome to Environmental Advocates of New York’s online newsletter from the State Capital, your source for environmental news. We update you every other week with tidbits and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.
$80 Million Held Hostage to
Polluter's Lawsuit
Environmental groups went to court last month to
defend the nation’s first plan to cut global warming pollution from
power plants, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Five groups filed papers (http://www.eany.org/news/RGGIAmicusBrief_05202009.pdf) in State Supreme Court supporting New York in its defense against a lawsuit brought by a single power company, Illinois-based Indeck Energy.
Most power plants in the 10-state RGGI region
are on board with the effort and have participated in three
successful auctions of pollution allowances, also known as “carbon
credits.” The next auction is June 17th.
The state authority responsible for
managing RGGI proceeds (the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority), isn’t spending auction revenue until the
lawsuit is resolved. And that means the state’s energy efficiency
and clean energy programs are missing out on more than $80 million
thanks to one greedy power producer.
Indeck filed its lawsuit back in January in an effort to get free
pollution allowances, among other claims.
The “friend of the court” brief was submitted
by
Earthjustice
and the
Columbia Environmental Law Clinic
on behalf of
Environmental Advocates of New York,
Conservation Law Foundation,
Environmental Defense Fund,
Pace Energy and
Climate Center and the Natural
Resources Defense Council.
New York’s been a leader in the fight to cut climate pollution for
more than 10 years. Along the way, a few bad actors have tried to
slow down the nation’s first effort to cut global warming pollution.
We think polluters’ concerns have been asked and answered, leaving
Indeck the lone holdout dragging its feet.
We’ll let you know what the Court decides.
You can read more here.
No Bigger Better for Bottle Bill
In response to a suit brought by beverage giants and others, a federal court judge has delayed all amendments to New York’s bottle deposit law until April 1, 2010, including the escheat of the unclaimed deposits, the handling fee increase, and the expansion to include bottled waters. So for now, no nickel deposit on bottled waters and thousands of containers will continue to litter our roadsides, waterways, parks and other natural areas.
Bottle bill supporters were surprised to learn last week that Robert F Kennedy Jr. supports the beverage companies’ claims. A phone call before he went public would have been nice.
New York State can appeal the decision, and we hope for the sake of the environment that it does. It’s also possible that the State Legislature and Governor move quickly to pass a new bottle law this session.
It’s not over until it’s over. But for now,
there’s no bigger better for New York’s bottle bill. We’ll keep you
posted.
Click
here to read an editorial in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Cap Carbon - New York
We can make New York a “green” leader in the climate fight when we stand up and send a clear message to state lawmakers—it’s time to take action and cut global warming pollution.
Here are two ways that you can lend a hand in this fight.
The easy way: Sign our Cap Carbon New York petition and call on state leaders and lawmakers to make real reductions in the pollution that is changing our climate now and not later. Click here to sign.
The up-close-and-personal way: Join us for Cap Carbon Lobby Day in Albany and tell state lawmakers why New York can and should take action to help stop global warming now and not later.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 9th
WHERE: New York State Capital
FOR DETAILS: Contact our Air & Energy
Program Associate, Jackson Morris at
jmorris@eany.org.
Why now? The longer we wait, the more
it will cost to avert the worst effects of climate change. So enough
talking, it’s time to act.
Want to
Renovate Green? Looking for salvaged cabinets or fixtures?
Go to
www.bignyc.org and learn how you can green your home renovation
with help from Build it Green! NYC.
Build It Green! NYC is the City’s only
nonprofit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials.
Their warehouse has everything from panel doors to high-end
refrigerators and shutters to movie props. Build It Green’s mission
is to keep these materials out of the landfill, while offering deep
discounts on their resale. The group is sponsored by
Community Environmental Center
and was founded in 2004.
Build It Green! NYC does kitchen demolitions, too. Replacing your
kitchen with your dream kitchen? If it’s in good condition, Build It
Green! NYC's fully insured deconstruction crews will deconstruct and
remove your kitchen for FREE!
Not every kitchen fits the Build It Green! NYC bill. Call 718-777-0132 to find out.
Visit http://www.bignyc.org to learn more.
Follow Us on Twitter
Twitter helps people like our members across the state, people who care about the health of New York's environment, communicate and stay connected by exchanging quick updates, or “tweets” in real time. Click here to learn more about Twitter.
Not everyone has the
time, information or resources to keep up with the issues that
matter most. Environmental Advocates equips you with all three. As
your conduit to state government, and New
York's only
green watchdog, we give you the tools to create real change.
Follow us on Twitter to stay connected to our work in New York's
State Capital as the Legislative Session draws to a close.
Bills on the Move
Every week during the State 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.
One tree for Hazardous Waste Liens. This bill would create an environmental lien on property in need of hazardous waste cleanup to ensure that New York State recoups costs when property owners file for bankruptcy. However, environmental liens are often the last to receive payment in such instances, and as such, the funds recovered may be inadequate to pay all debts. A better bill would prioritize the environmental lien and allow the state to collect from polluters before other entities.
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