PRESS RELEASE

July 9, 2007

GREEN WATCHDOG CALLS ON GOVERNOR SPITZER TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR NEW YORK'S ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Protection Fund Enhancement Act Awaits Governor's Signature

(ALBANY, NY)— Environmental groups across the state are calling on Governor Eliot Spitzer to sign into law the Environmental Protection Fund Enhancement Act, a measure that will increase the green fund over time to almost $300 million. New York State lawmakers passed the Act at the very end of this year’s legislative session. 

Sponsored by Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Oyster Bay) and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), the Act will incrementally increase funds deposited in the Environmental Protection Fund from the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), from $212 million in fiscal year 2007-2008, to $237 million in fiscal year 2008-2009, and $287 million in fiscal year 2009-2010 and each fiscal year thereafter. The bill also provides for quarterly financial reports regarding the status of the Fund.

“Environmental Advocates of New York calls on Governor Spitzer to sign the Environmental Protection Fund Enhancement Fund into law and commit New York State to better funding the programs that manage our state’s most critical natural resources,” said Robert Moore, executive director of Environmental Advocates of New York. “The Fund not only protects the health of New York’s precious parks Upstate, it supports critical programs in the New York City metro area, including urban forestry, waterfront revitalization and municipal parks.”   

Created in 1993, the Environmental Protection Fund is a dedicated funding source for capital programs that, among other things, protect the quality of New York’s air and water, preserve open space and farmland, establish parks, aid in local water front revitalization, implement solid waste and recycling programs, and fund public health initiatives such as breast cancer research. Funded programs have enjoyed considerable success. However, the demand for resources far exceeds the amount of available funds. The estimated demand for dollars over the next decade is measured in the billions. Because of sprawling development and skyrocketing real estate values, deposits to the RETT have grown exponentially, therefore increased deposits in the Fund from the RETT are in order. 

While Environmental Advocates of New York strongly supports expanding the state’s Returnable Beverage Container Law (by means of the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill) and the use of unclaimed bottle deposits as a means of increasing environmental funding, the Environmental Protection Fund Enhancement Act is still required if the state hopes to meet the environmental community’s goal of a $500 million Fund by 2010. This bill is an important step in establishing an Environmental Protection Fund that will be sufficient to meet the state’s needs in this decade and decades to come

During budget negotiations earlier this year, Governor Spitzer and state lawmakers agreed to raise the EPF to $250 million.

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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.