NYS Takes Steps to protect Pollinators

Maureen Gaffney

Today, the New York State Assembly, led by Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Steve Englebright, passed The Birds and Bees Protection Act which would place a ban on neonic-treated corn and soybean seeds, which represent 73% of the neonics used in NYS agriculture bill. This bill bans the use of seeds coated with toxic insecticides called neonicotinoids or “neonics” and prohibits neonic use for ornamental and turf applications. In order for this bill to become law, it now needs to pass in the Senate before it can go to the Governor’s desk for her signature. We need your continued support to get this billl to the Governor’s desk. Please keep sending emails, calling your legislators, and organizing in your communities to promote the bill.

Read the bill passed in Assembly and now pending in our State Senate.

https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2021/A7429A

https://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2019/S5816

US Sea Levels Could rise 10-12 inches

Maureen Gaffney

The US coastline is expected to experience up to a foot (30 centimeters) of sea-level rise by the year 2050, as much rise over a 30-year period as the previous 100-year period of 1920-2020, because of climate change, making damaging floods far more common than today, a US government study said Tuesday.

Read more….https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/sealevelrise/sealevelrise-tech-report.html

See where flooding is expected…https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/#/layer/slr/0/-8272882.729902666/5072536.016884262/14/satellite/none/0.8/2050/interHigh/midAccretion

What is the full price of widening Route 17?

Maureen Gaffney

OE President Emeritus Michael Edelstein, cited in this article, lays out the issue of of poorly controlled growth, inadequate planning and weak environmental reviews as the making of this proposed “need”. He recommends that any future widening proposals must be studied in much greater depth, weighing alternative solutions, the potential impact on air pollution and most importantly should consider climate change as a key factor in any widening studies.

https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/local/2021/12/02/ny-state-report-estimates-widening-route-17-orange-county-costs/8793165002/?fbclid=IwAR0v4TEuqQFnmQ4mbRc8_UbdqUI3ew2paNcXoymssFy2kPhJkbCA8FJ0sqo

Danskammer Appeals Air Permit Denial

Maureen Gaffney

And the fight for clean air and mitigation of climate change impacts in our region continues……

Danskammer Energy announced on 11/24/21 that it will appeal the NYSDEC 10/27/21 ruling that denied the required air permit for operation of the power plant in Newburgh.

In its denial, the NYSDEC stated “…..The proposed project would be inconsistent with or would interfere with the statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits established in the Climate Act. Danskammer failed to demonstrate the need or justification for the proposed project notwithstanding this inconsistency.” Danskammer Energy says it disagrees with the denial saying the State DEC is holding them to “standards that don’t even exist.” The CLCPA was developed in response to the climate change crisis that mandates carbon emissions reductions. The law outlines goals of reaching 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 in New York, 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040 and an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The proposed expansion was the first large scale gas-fired power plant to be considered by state authorities since the 2019 passage of CLCPA.