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PRESS RELEASE

January 31, 2007

NEW YORK'S ENVIRONMENT REAPS BIG BENEFITS IN GOVERNOR SPITZER'S FIRST BUDGET

(ALBANY, NY)—New York’s environmental leaders hailed Governor Eliot Spitzer’s proposed executive budget as a giant leap forward in protecting the health of New York’s environment and called on the State Legislature to support it. The groups singled out the following provisions of the proposed executive budget for their highest praise:

166 new key environmental staff positions: 109 at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), 52 at the Office of Parks and Recreation (OPRHP), and five at the Adirondack Park Agency;
Update of New York’s bottle bill to include non-carbonated beverages such as water and juice, and earmark of unclaimed deposits, which are currently kept by the beverage companies, to the state’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF); and
$100 million or larger increase in the Environmental Protection Fund over the next two years, using revenue from the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. This year’s increase is projected at $25 million, based on a January 1^st start date, with an anticipated $100 million or more flowing to the EPF from unclaimed bottle deposits in future years.

“This budget marks a new day for New York’s environment,” said Laura Haight, NYPIRG’s senior environmental associate. “It lays the groundwork for rebuilding our state environmental agencies, making our communities cleaner and healthier, and increasing funding for environmental protection.”

The groups praised a number of other new initiatives in the Governor’s budget, including:

New Office of Climate Change within the DEC, with 12 new staff; and
New Pollution Prevention Institute to work with businesses to reduce the use and production of toxic materials.

Increased Environmental Staffing
"Rebuilding New York's environmental agencies has long been a priority for environmental organizations statewide, as well as for the dedicated professionals working at those agencies," said Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York. "We applaud Governor Spitzer's commitment to adding 109 new technical, enforcement, and citizen participation staff to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s depleted ranks, where staff cuts have severely impacted the agency’s ability to fulfill its mission. We also applaud the restoration of 52 staff proposed at the Office of Parks and Recreation and five positions at the Adirondack Park Agency. These badly needed environmental scientists, planners and Parks staff will help to ensure that these agencies have the capacity and the skilled and committed employees needed for priority programs.”

Bigger Better Bottle Bill
“We are thrilled that Governor Spitzer has included the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in his executive budget,” said Laura Haight, NYPIRG’s senior environmental associate. “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the bottle bill, New York's most successful litter prevention and recycling program. Both the Governor and the Assembly have supported making our communities cleaner and healthier by updating the bottle bill to include bottled water and other non-carbonated drinks. We hope the Senate will support this common-sense measure.”

Increased Environmental Protection Fund (EPF)
“We applaud Governor Spitzer for laying out a strategy that moves us toward our long-term goal of a $500 million Environmental Protection Fund by 2010,” said Henry Tepper, New York State Director of The Nature Conservancy. “We believe the Bigger Better Bottle Bill could generate more than $180 million annually for environmental programs and the protection of clean water and natural diversity in New York by transferring unclaimed bottle deposits to the State Environmental Protection Fund. The Legislature needs to fully support this proposal which will not only reduce litter and increase recycling, but will provide much-needed funding to advance the protection of our land, air and water.”

Great News for New York’s Environment
“Governor Spitzer’s first budget is a significant advance for New York’s environment,” said John Stouffer, Legislative Director for the Sierra Club – Atlantic Chapter. “It makes an investment in rebuilding our dangerously understaffed environmental agencies. It commits significant new resources to addressing global warming - one of the most important environmental challenges facing our state. It advances a needed improvement in our state recycling effort in the form of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. This budget is the biggest and best news for the health of New York’s environment in more than a decade.”

Last week, in a move widely praised by the environmental community, Governor Spitzer named Judith Enck as Deputy Secretary of the Environment and nominated Assemblyman Pete Grannis to be the next DEC Commissioner. Previously Carol Ash was nominated as the Commissioner of the OPRHP, also to widespread praise. The Governor’s budget proposal ensures that these agencies will have the necessary resources to make many of the changes that he advocated for during his gubernatorial campaign.

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Environmental Advocates of New York is the state’s government watchdog, holding lawmakers and agencies accountable for implementing policy that protects natural resources and safeguards public health. Environmental Advocates works alone and in coalitions, and has more than 7,000 individual and 130 organizational members. The 501(c)(3) is also the New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. For more information call 518.462.5526 or visit www.eany.org.