December 28, 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 insider news and observations carefully gleaned from the halls of the Capitol.

NEW YORK'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND IS TIED UP IN KNOTS

Environmental Advocates of New York released a report last week revealing for the first time how executive meddling, staff shortages and bureaucratic red tape are strangling New York’s environmental trust fund. According to the report, Tied Up In Knots, the Environmental Protection Fund has been raided to the tune of $500 million since it was established back in 1993. And since 2002, one in every four Fund dollars has been “swept” into the State’s General Fund. Worse yet, actions taken by Governor Paterson have made it even harder for Fund dollars to reach environmental projects.

The Governor and State Legislature have taken $185 million from the Fund for non-environmental purposes since 2008, including $10 million in the recent budget deficit reduction agreement. Because of these transfers and cuts, New York State is having a hard time meeting its commitments to local governments and not-for-profits that have already secured funding for projects such as fixing up community parks, encouraging recycling, and protecting working farms. 

Before he releases his budget proposal next month, we’re calling on Governor Paterson to stop hacking away at New York’s environmental programs. Instead of smashing this green piggyback, the Governor should cut the number of bureaucratic reviews (21!) tying up dollars meant to protect our environment and create new jobs.

The report documents a failure to spend resources allocated to environmental projects due to executive interference. In 2008, Governor Paterson gave New York’s Division of Budget veto authority over each and every Environmental Protection Fund dollar, allowing bureaucrats to stop payment on state contracts and block projects. The Governor now has the power to put a hold on Fund expenditures, allowing it to accumulate big balances and leaving these monies ripe for budget relief. 

To get Fund dollars to deserving projects—as intended—we propose simplifying grant applications and reviews. By getting monies flowing to environmentally beneficial projects, it becomes less likely these resources will become the target of budget officials looking for a quick fix.

Click here to download “Tied Up in Knots.”

Read all about it here.

SPEAK NOW ON NEW YORK'S DRAFT DRILLING GUIDE  

The public comment period on draft regulations to guide natural gas drilling in New York State comes to a close this Thursday, December 31. 

In other parts of the country, natural gas drilling has poisoned waterways and spilled toxic chemicals across landscapes. It’s important that New Yorkers’ voices are heard on this issue before it’s too late.   

We think the draft guide is weak and won’t protect New York’s environment, especially our drinking water. Click here to send your own comments on the draft to the Department of Environmental Conservation.  

Specifically, here’s what’s wrong with the draft drilling guide:

• It doesn’t limit the use of toxic chemicals in the drilling process;
• It doesn’t protect streams, rivers, and groundwater from the large water
  withdrawals associated with drilling techniques such as hydraulic fracturing, often called “fracking”;
• It doesn’t include a cumulative impact assessment to protect our communities from the large-scale impacts of fracking; and
• It doesn’t provide for “no-drill zones” or processes for declaring sensitive areas unsuitable for drilling.

Last but not least, New York State does not have the staff to oversee natural gas drilling, not by a long shot.

Click here to learn more about natural gas drilling in New York.

ON THE HORIZON

Note to New Yorkers: Keep your eyes and ears peeled in early January. On January 6^th, Governor Paterson will make his annual State of the State address in the Capitol. The State of the State is often a blueprint of the Governor’s priorities (and mindset) for the year ahead. Two weeks after that, the Governor will release his executive budget proposal, revealing the next round of state cost cutting.  

All signs (and the twittering of little birds) point to big cuts across state programs. We’ll let you know how New York’s environment fares in the Governor’s budget proposal just as soon as it’s public.    

INSIDE COPENHAGEN

National Wildlife Federation’s Senior V.P. Jeremy Symons has written a good piece on the upsides of the recent international conference on climate change in Copenhagen for the Politico blog. Symons lays out five encouraging developments. Click here to read the full post.  

Environmental Advocates is the New York State affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.  

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK IS A MEMBER OF EARTH SHARE OF NEW YORK  

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