PRESS RELEASE

* AUDUBON NEW YORK * CITIZENS CAMPAIGN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT * ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES OF NEW YORK * NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL * NEW YORK PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP *

May 5, 2009

GOVERNOR PATERSON & SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SMITH JOIN ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOR EARTH DAY LOBBY DAY

Senator Thompson, Assemblyman Sweeney Join 200 + Environmentalists to Call on NYS Legislature to Advance High Priority Super Bills on May 5th

(ALBANY, NY)—Hundreds of environmentalists and concerned citizens from across New York State traveled to Albany today to ask lawmakers to pass the environmental community's priority "Super Bills." Governor David Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) joined the groups on Earth Day Lobby Day, marking the first time the state leaders have spoken at the annual gathering since it began in 1990. Environmental Conservation Committee Chairs Senator Antoine Thompson (D-Buffalo) and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) spoke in support of the environmental community's priority Super Bills and called for their passage.

This year's Earth Day Lobby Day is focused on the 2009 Super Bills--the Global Warming Pollution Cap, Wetlands Protection, Electronic Equipment Recycling, Environmental Access to Justice, and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. The Bigger Better Bottle Bill has been an environmental priority for almost a decade, and after a hard-fought campaign, was enacted this year as part of the state budget. Lobby Day attendees thanked the leaders for updating and expanding the Bottle Bill and urged passage of the other four Super Bills.

After the morning program of speakers and issue briefings, citizen lobbyists will meet with more than 80 State Senators and Assembly members. Several of the bills on this year's Earth Day Lobby Day agenda are scheduled for committee votes today, and three are poised for a floor vote this afternoon in the Assembly, which has already passed the Environmental Access to Justice Act.

"We applaud Governor Paterson and the State Legislature for their leadership on the environmental issues that matter most to New Yorkers," said Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York. "During budget negotiations, state leaders took positive steps to protect our natural resources by passing a green budget that updates the Bottle Bill to match consumer trends and keeps the Environmental Protection Fund's stable funding formula. We hope to continue this green trend and help New York regain its spot as the nation's greenest state by passing all five Super Bills this year."

"We are excited about the opportunity to make progress on some of the issues of greatest concern to the environmental community and to the public at large," said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate of the New York Public Interest Research Group. "Today we are celebrating passage of the Bigger Better Bottle Law, a major grassroots environmental victory. We look forward to working with the State Legislature and the Governor to pass more laws this session to protect our environment and our health."

"As the state has made significant progress to protect our water, air and land resources by protecting the Environmental Protection Fund and passing the Bottle Bill expansion, there is still more to do to safeguard the state's environment and keep New Yorkers working," said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York. "We urge the Legislature to build off these successes by providing important protections for freshwater wetlands and by curbing Global Warming emissions from all sources, and we applaud Assemblyman Sweeney and Senator Thompson for leading the charge on these important measures."

"Our Legislature needs to continue the critical work of protecting our environment. Recycling electronic waste, fighting climate change and protecting wetlands are all meaningful actions that are staunchly supported by the public," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "The recession should not be used as an excuse to allow our natural resources to degrade or for New York to not advance protective policies."

"With strong leadership on environmental and energy policy finally coming from Washington, New York State must take this opportunity to move a green agenda forward during this session," said Richard Schrader, NY Legislative Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

New York State's Green Panel, responsible for selecting the environmental community's top priorities for the Legislative Session, includes leaders from more than a dozen organizations across the state. This year's Super Bills include:

• Global Warming Pollution Cap - This measure would reduce New York State's climate change pollution from all sources until total greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 are 80 percent less than emissions for the year 1990.
• Wetlands Protection - The Clean Water Protection/Flood Prevention Act would close a loophole in New York law and give the state authority to protect wetlands less than 12.4 acres in size.
• Electronic Equipment Recycling - These bills would remove tons of toxic e-waste from landfills by requiring manufacturers to collect and recycle their products.
• Environmental Access to Justice Act - This bill would restore New Yorkers' right to enforce state environmental review laws.
• Bigger Better Bottle Bill - This law, which was enacted as part of the 2009-2010 state budget, expands New York's bottle deposit law to include bottled water, requires beverage companies to transfer 80 percent of the unclaimed deposits they collect to the state, and creates incentives for bottle and can redemption centers. These reforms will result in cleaner communities, higher recycling rates, new revenue for the state, and the creation of new "green jobs" across New York.

In addition to featuring presentations by environmental groups about the Super Bills and remarks by state leaders, Michele Segerberg and Kelly Martin of Wildlife Alive brought a Great Horned Owl, a Red Tailed Hawk and a Northern Harrier to the event to underscore the case for preserving New York's rich natural heritage and wildlife habitat.

Earth Day Lobby Day is the environmental community's largest annual event at the State Capitol. The first Earth Day Lobby Day was held in 1990. Every year, hundreds of organizations and citizens from across the state come to Albany to learn about bills being considered by the State Legislature and to lobby elected officials on the issues that matter most to their families. This year's Earth Day Lobby Day is sponsored by Adirondack Council, Audubon New York, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Environmental Advocates of New York, Environmental Defense Fund, Long Island Pine Barrens Society, National Wildlife Federation, New York League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York Public Interest Research Group, Open Space Institute, Parks and Trails New York, PEF/EnCon, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club and The Nature Conservancy.

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