December 29, 2008

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.

GREENS BLUE ABOUT GOV'S BUDGET PROPOSAL

Environmental Advocates of New York is crying foul on Governor David Paterson’s budget proposal. The Gov’s cuts are nothing short of hazardous to the health of the state’s natural resources.

And while we’re blue about his budget proposal, we’ve got a few common sense proposals that could help balance the budget and benefit the environment. As you may remember, just last month we released $aving Green, our report on more than $100 million in wasteful state spending and tax breaks. That’s $100 million that could support green efforts across the state.

Here's what the budget proposal includes:

• Updating New York’s bottle deposit law to include beverages such as bottled water and sports drinks and sending unclaimed bottle and can deposits to the Environmental Protection Fund (not back to the bottlers). This estimated $118 million in unclaimed deposits would replace the Fund’s current revenue source—the Real Estate Transfer Tax. Expanding the Bottle Bill to match consumer drinking habits is something we’ve advocated for a long time. However, the goal of the state’s bottle deposit law is to encourage recycling. And in a perfect world, the unclaimed bottle deposits would add up to ZERO dollars (because every bottle and can would be redeemed).
  
  In effect, New York would be replacing a proven revenue stream—the Real Estate Transfer Tax—with a source of revenue that ideally will decline over time. In the end, that means less money to support critical environmental projects.
  
  So while we strongly support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, we think Real Estate Transfer Tax revenue should continue to support the Fund. The Environmental Protection Fund was created in 1993 as a dedicated trust fund to preserve New York’s natural and historic heritage. Right now, it’s not dependent on state budget fluctuations but by stable revenue that’s been tested in previous economic downturns.

• Cutting the Fund by 20 percent, from $255 million to $205 million. These cuts will derail projects that range from conservation and recycling to public health and water quality across the state.

• And in response to the Governor’s proposal to cut 241 staffers at the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Environmental Advocates is calling on state leaders to maintain staff at the already beleaguered agency.

For more than a decade, the state’s environmental agency has done ‘worse with less.’ New York needs to reverse that trend and protect public safety and our drinking water. More staff cuts will mean fewer inspectors to monitor water and air pollution. And with increasing pressure to drill for natural gas in the Southern Tier, it’s critical that New York’s environmental agency has staff to monitor water quality and protect the public.    

Here are a few common sense cost-cutting proposals the Governor has failed to pursue:

• Bunker Fuel:  Instead of cutting back on environmental protection, the state should eliminate tax breaks that hurt natural resources. For example, bunker fuel, the dirty sludge used to power cargo ships, is tax exempt. The emissions from burning this sludge are linked to a host of health problems including cancer and asthma. Eliminating this tax exemption could bring in nearly $40 million in revenue while encouraging cargo ships to burn cleaner fuels. Our report $aving Green documents more than $100 million in annual revenue that could support environmental needs.

• Cheap Power for Jobs: This program provides cheap energy to New York companies as an incentive to keep jobs in state. But our analysis shows that these incentives encourage energy consumption in the name of economic development that isn’t happening. So while the state is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to reduce power demand, it’s encouraging wasteful energy use at the very same time. And these power recipients aren’t creating jobs—the reason for subsidies.

• Although no new coal-fired power plant has been built in New York for 25 years, taxpayers are on the hook for more than $8 million to build an experimental clean coal power plant in Jamestown while a cleaner burning natural gas turbine sits idle in the same town. The “clean” technology the project boasts—carbon capture and sequestration—may be an interesting science project, but it doesn’t deserve taxpayer money when a proven and relatively clean power source sits unused. The state should deny permits for the experimental Jamestown clean coal project and repeal appropriations.

To responsibly balance the budget and protect the health of our families, New York should cut projects or policies that work against the state’s environmental goals, rather than deplete the Environmental Protection Fund.

Click here to read more in the Politics on the Hudson blog. 

And from amNY.

Read Newsday's take on environmental budget cuts.

Click here to read about what the proposed budget could mean for New York's farms.

IT'S BAAAAAAAAAACK: THE CLEAN AIR INTERSTATE RULE

Last Tuesday a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., reversed itself and reinstated a Bush Administration plan to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants. Back in July the Clean Air Interstate Rule was struck down by the court, which said that the EPA had exceeded its authority in devising a new emissions-trading system to reduce that pollution, and must rewrite the rule to fix its “fundamental flaws.” We criticized the decision as a major setback for clean air.

Click here to read more in the New York Times.

$42 MILLION FOR NEW YORK

During a recent auction of pollution allowances known as “carbon credits,” the regional cap-and-trade program designed to cut climate pollution from power plants raised nearly $42 million for energy efficiency and clean energy projects in New York State. And that’s a very good thing.

New York is one of 10 states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, or “RGGI,” that requires power plants to buy carbon credits for each ton of carbon they emit. The states have capped the number of credits available annually and will auction a portion of them every quarter.

New York’s participation in the auction of global warming pollution marks a historic moment for the state where the climate plan was born. As the plan moves ahead, it’s critical that New Yorkers who want to cut climate pollution call on Governor Paterson and state lawmakers to commit to keeping every penny raised in these landmark auctions clean and green. Investing auction dollars in energy efficiency and clean energy will pay big dividends in the form of lower energy bills and cleaner air for everyone. 

Permits to pollute in the 10 states participating in the regional climate plan went on the chopping block and every last carbon credit found a buyer. Bids on allowances resulted in a clearing price of $3.38 per ton.

Click here to read more in Crain's New York Business.  

TOUGH BREAK FOR ALIEN INVADERS

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River advocates are applauding New York's latest effort to shut the door on aquatic invasive species. New rules from the Department of Environmental Conservation will require better treatment of ballast water on ships in state waters.

Hitching a ride in ship ballast is the primary pathway for aquatic invasive species and New York's rules are now among the strictest in the country.

Aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels and round gobies, are among the most significant threats to state waterways. Invasive species foul beaches, wreak havoc on fish, clog water intake valves of cities and utilities, and harm wildlife. Aquatic invasive species cost the eight Great Lakes states at least $200 million per year according to researchers at Notre Dame University.

While environmental groups are supportive of state action, greens continue to urge the U.S. Congress to act.

THE FUTURE STARTS NOW

You’re invited to the 5th Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century at Cazenovia College on April 17, 2009. Learn about cutting edge energy issues from top scholars and decision makers. 

This year’s topic is “Smart Growth and Transportation: Solutions & Options for Energy Conservation.” Sprawling towns and cities are creating an energy conservation nightmare, and transportation is big part of the problem. The Symposium will give light to solutions with the ultimate goal of using smart growth for energy conservation.

The Symposium program includes Geoff Anderson, President and CEO, Smart Growth America, Washington DC, to discuss the issue from a National Perspective, and Paul Beyer, Director of Smart Growth Planning, New York Department of State, to discuss Smart Growth issues in New York State. Rich Kassel, Natural Resources Defense Council, Senior Attorney & Director of Clean Fuels and Vehicles Project and Ruth Horton, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Program Manager, will both address transportation options including alternative fuels and technologies. Astrid Glynn, Commissioner New York State Department of Transportation is invited to talk about the future of transportation in New York State relevant to smart growth, and Congressman Michael Arcuri will address issues dealing with the Federal Transportation Bill. Dr. Samuel Merrill, Professor at the University of Southern Maine and Director of the New England Environmental Finance Center Smart Growth Network of EPA Region 1 will join us to discuss smaller communities. Tom Suozzi, County Executive of Nassau County, has been invited to share with us his impressive accomplishments in Nassau County. Kit Kennedy, Special Deputy Attorney General for Environmental Protection, Environment Protection Bureau, will moderate a panel of these speakers.

Register today. Space is limited. Don’t miss this chance to join academics, mayors, town supervisors, congressmen, mayors and their staff, governmental agencies, energy professionals and entrepreneurs, farmers, students and others to talk and learn.

For more information and Registration go to: www.cazenovia.edu/energy.