On Earth Day, Weiner Report Shows Republican Budget Proposal Would Severely Harm New York’s Environment

Today, to commemorate the 41^st annual Earth Day, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D – Queens and Brooklyn) released a report highlighting the dangerous impact of the proposed Republican FY 2012 budget on New York City’s environment, which if implemented, would cut $54.1 million from the fund that ensures clean drinking water for the City and cut $2 million in funding from Gateway National Recreation Area, the country’s largest urban national park.

Under the 2012 Republican budget proposal, funding cuts would also be made to numerous national monuments and historic sites in the New York area, including $900,000 for operating costs at the Statue of Liberty and $120,000 in funding for Governors Island National Monument.

In addition, nearly $400,000 would be cut from projects affecting Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways. These cuts would jeopardize all of the beach replenishment that has been conducted over the past decade by delaying the long-term prevention plan against storm damage that is currently underway. They would also delay the vital marshland restoration projects that have already begun, including the replenishment of Elders Point East, for which Rep. Weiner helped secure $1.5 million. Last month, Weiner announced $500,000 to help prevent erosion at Plumb Beach, but reduced funding to the Army Corps also places the future of projects like this at risk.

The GOP budget would also have a direct impact on park staff and visitors at Gateway National Recreation. Because national parks rely heavily on personnel for their operations, these GOP cuts would mean fewer park rangers at Gateway, especially in the summer when park visitation is at its peak.

In total, over $5 million in funding would be slashed for all national parks in the City and nearly $290 million would be reduced from National Parks Service nationwide. Visitor safety would be put at risk and visitor center and campsite hours could also be reduced significantly.

The proposal put forward by Republicans would also cut $2.8 billion, or 27%, from the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The draconian GOP budget proposal would slash vital funding for projects that protect our beautiful green spaces, national parks and waterways," Weiner said. “The future of our city’s natural treasures shouldn’t be subjected to the whims of Republicans in Washington who care only about appeasing the most extreme elements of their party.”

Full details of Weiner’s Report below:

The Republican FY ‘12 Budget Proposal Would Harm Gateway National Park

• Funding to Gateway National Park’s would be cut by $2 million, a 13% cut from FY10 levels. (NYC IBO).
• This would mean that there would be fewer park rangers in Gateway, especially in the summer when the visitation to the park is at its peak. This puts visitor safety at risk and could mean reduced visitor center and campsite hours. Park facilities would also deteriorate because they do not have the funding or personnel needed to maintain them.

The Republican FY ’12 Budget Proposal Would Cut Funding to New York Area Monuments and Historic Sites

• Funding for the African Burial Ground National Monument would be cut by $2 million
• Funding for the Castle Clinton National Monument would be cut by $19,000
• Funding for the Federal Hall National Memorial would be cut by $115,000
• Funding for the General Grant National Memorial would be cut by $270,000
• Funding for the Governors Island National Monument would be cut by $120,000
• Funding for the Hamilton Grange National Memorial would be cut by $4,000
• Funding for the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site would be cut by $11,000

The Republican FY ’12 Budget Proposal Would Cut Funding to the Statue of Liberty

• The Statue of Liberty would lose $900,000 in funding for operating expenses, 80% of which goes to personnel.

The Republican FY ‘12 Budget Proposal Would Harm Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways

• Would cut the Army Corps of Engineers funding for the bay by nearly $400,000.
• These cuts would jeopardize all of the beach replenishment that has been done over the past decade by delaying the long-term prevention plan for storm-damage that is currently underway. They would also delay the marshland restoration that has already occurred at some of the islands in the Bay.

The Republican FY ‘12 Budget Proposal Puts New Yorkers’ Health at Risk

• The Drinking Water Revolving Fund, which works to ensure that local residents receive clean and safe drinking water, would be cut by $54.1 million for NYC. (NYC OMB)
• The Clean Water Revolving Fund which works to ensures that local communities can provide clean and sanitary wastewater treatment services for their residents would be cut by $283 million for NYC. (NYC OMB)

Rep. Weiner, who has been endorsed numerous times by the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, has worked tirelessly to protect the environment over the course of his career in Congress. His district is home to Gateway National Recreation Area, the nation’s largest urban national park.

From working to combat Jamaica Bay’s vanishing marshlands, to hosting the first Floyd Bennett Field Blue Ribbon Panel to create recommendations on how to best improve one of the nation's most-visited national recreation areas, guarding Brooklyn and Queens’ natural beauty has always been at the forefront of Weiner’s agenda.

He has secured over $10 million in funding to replenish Rockaway beaches. This funding has been used to prevent shoreline erosion and design a long-term storm damage prevention plan through the use of groins and jetties. He secured an additional $6 million in funding to restore Jamaica Bay marshland, including 42 acres at Elders Point East. A marshland restoration project implemented by Rep. Weiner is underway at Elders Point West, with an additional 50 acres set to be restored at Yellow Bar Island.

Weiner has also secured over $14 million funding for Gateway National Park during his years in Congress.

NYC's Plan To Fix Delaware Aqueduct | New York League of Conservation Voters

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An illustration of the new bypass tunnel in 3-D rendering.

Starting in 2013, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection will build a permanent three-milebypass around the leaking part of an aqueduct that supplies half the city's drinking water. The project is expected to take six years.

Completed in 1944, the Delaware Aqueduct is the world's longest continuous tunnel, and delivers more than 500 million gallons daily from four upstate reservoirs to customers in New York City and Ulster, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties.

Since the 1990, DEP has been monitoring leaks of 15 million to 35 million gallons daily in part of the aqueduct that passes through relatively soft limestone where the aqueduct connects West Branch Reservoir in Putnam County to Rondout Reservoir in Ulster County.

The rest of the aqueduct traverses more durable rock formations made of sandstone, shale, gneiss and granite. However, there are several other areas along its route where more minor repairs can and will be made, at the point in the bypass construction project when DEP temporarily shuts down the Delaware Aqueduct.

DEP already has spent $300 million on project planning, and estimates that the bypass tunnel and internal repairs will cost about $1.2 billion. Additionally, the city water agency said it plans to spend another $900 million on "water projects to supplement the city's supply during part of the construction period."

NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS ENDORSES GILLIBRAND FOR U.S. SENATE

Touts Gillibrand’s Work to Bolster Clean Energy, Green Jobs, Environmental Conservation

The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) today formally endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate, touting her work in the Senate to bolster development of clean-energy technology, create jobs in the renewable-energy sector, and protect New York’s precious natural resources.

“Kirsten Gillibrand is the voice we need in Washington,” said NYLCV President Marcia Bystryn. “She’s fighting to hold corporate polluters accountable, and protect the air we breathe and the water we drink. She knows what’s at stake when it comes to climate change, and she has what it takes to help transition our economy from the foreign fossil fuels of the last century to the wind, solar and clean energy of the 21^st century.”
“I am honored to have the support of the New York League of Conservation Voters,” Senator Gillibrand said. “From the shores of the Great Lakes, to the banks of the Hudson Valley and the peaks of the Adirondacks, New York is blessed with great natural beauty that I will always fight to protect. If we can beat Russia in the race to the moon, then we can beat China in the race to green energy. I look forward to continue working with NYLCV so we can finally pass comprehensive clean-energy legislation, stop spending $1 billion a day on foreign oil from hostile nations, and start investing that money here at home producing clean energy and creating green-energy jobs.”

NYLCV joins a broad and growing coalition of community leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses, civil rights leaders, elected officials and advocacy groups all standing with Kirsten Gillibrand. Click here for the latest information about who has endorsed Kirsten’s campaign.

NYLCV Backs Nunes by Andrew J. Hawkins - City Hall News

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The New York League of Conservation Voters has thrown its support behind Lynn Nunes, the Democratic primary challenger to Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley.

The announcement came in a brief press release from Nune’s campaign, which said he landed the endorsement from the NYLCV for his “commitment to protecting New York’s land, air, and water.” There’s no statement from the league as of yet.

This is a pretty interesting turn of events for several reasons.

The NYLCV, as I noted yesterday, played a role back in 2008 in helping the Democrats flip a Long Island Senate seat that had long been held by the GOP by backing now-Sen. Brian Foley against then-incumbent Sen. Caesar Trunzo.
That win helped the Democrats take control of the chamber. (The other big loss was Sen. Serf Maltese, who was toppled by Joe Addabbo, another NYLCV-endorsed candidated.


Yesterday, the league announced it would again back GOP Sen. Frank Padavan against his Democratic challenger, former NYC Councilman Tony Avella, even though Avella had received a 100 percent rating from the organization on its environmental scorecard.

Avella blamed his opposition to Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan. (It should also be noted that in 2008, the NYLCV split the baby in the Padvan race, backing both the Republican incumbent AND his Democratic challenger, NYC Councilman Jim Gennaro).

As far as I can tell, the NYLCV didn’t back Huntley in 2008.

Nunes is building support among some key special interests, including supporters of charter schools and gay marriage advocates.

Both of those groups are backing primary challengers against incumbent Democrats this September in an attempt to re-shape the majority (assuming it holds in November) into something they feel better suits their needs.

Boro Does Its Part for the Environment - Goin' Green in Queens - YourNabe.com

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Dan Miner, chairman of the Sierra Club's New York City chapter, attends the Going Green in Queens conference at the Al Oerter Recreational Center in Flushing last week. Miner was the event's keynote speaker. Photo by Christina Santucci

From composting waste and leftover food to purchasing goods made from discarded water bottles, there are plenty of ways borough residents can live more sustainably, environmentalists said at the Going Green in Queens 2010 conference last week.

“There’s a budding environmental movement in Queens and you can see that here,” said Sunnyside resident Dan Hendrick, communication director at the New York League of Conservation Voters. “There are local groups doing recycling in Queens, doing gardens in Queens. There are so many people making all kinds of connections here and that’s the best part.”

About 350 people attended Saturday’s daylong conference on green initiatives that was hosted by the Queens Coalition for Parks and Green Spaces at Flushing’s Al Oerter Recreational Center. TimesLedger Newspapers was the event’s media sponsor.

More than 50 environmental groups from across Queens and the city were featured at the event, which included workshops on solar energy, composting and tree pruning. Many local groups set up tables at the event, such as the Western Queens Compost Initiative, which raised money for its organization that composts waste left behind from bike tours through western Queens, and Community Supported Agriculture groups.

“We have a huge resource that’s being untapped, and food can be turned back into a soil amendment,” said Astoria resident Stephanos Koullius, a member of the WQCI. “We can use food scraps to grow more food.”

The Flushing-based Tzu Chi company set up shop in the recreation center to sell its bags, clothing and blankets made from the polyester fibers in water bottles.

“We’re happy to be at this event because it raises awareness of how we’re harming the environment and what we can do to help,” said Tiffany Huang, a Flushing resident who works for Tzu Chi, which also has headquarters in Taiwan. “We’re trying to promote things that are environmentally friendly.”

Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said the event will help borough and city residents already working in the green movement to make important connections with others concerned about sustainable living.

“It’s a really great opportunity for people involved in greening to network with each other,” Lewandowski said.

Lewandowski agreed with Hendrick that there is a growing awareness of the green movement in Queens and she said hundreds of borough residents are working on local gardens on city-owned land at places like the Senior Korean Garden in Kissena Park and the Goodwill Park in Astoria.

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Dan Miner, chairman of the Sierra Club’s New York City chapter and senior vice president of the Long Island City Business Development Corp., said those who participated in Saturday’s conference need to focus their efforts on promoting sustainable lifestyles to groups and individuals throughout the city.

“We need to work on explaining why we need to make fundamental changes in our lives,” said Miner, who was the keynote speaker at Going Green in Queens. “We have to make people understand how these changes can improve quality of life. As electricity and oil costs go up, we need to address how you can prepare your neighborhood for these changes and how you can make your neighborhood more sustainable and resilient.”

Rachel Amar of the group Waste Management of New York, a national recycling company, said Saturday’s event formed bonds between community members and green organizations and made it easy for people to understand how they could make changes in their own lives that make a difference.

“As an environmental service company, we strongly believe in working with good environmental groups in the community,” said Amar, who grew up in Fresh Meadows. “ It’s important for people to learn how they can be better stewards of the environment.”

Green Group Sees Red Over Ulrich Voting Record by Nick Hirshon - NY Daily News

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ENVIRONMENTAL advocates slammed the only Queens Republican in the City Council for votes against green initiatives amid a mostly glowing review of borough leaders released last week.

Newbie GOP Councilman Eric Ulrich of Rockaway Beach, who won a special election in February, tied for the lowest mark in the city - 17 out of 100 - in a scorecard graded by the League of Conservation Voters.

His low score - based on what the league calls votes against "pro-environment bills" and lack of sponsorship on proposed legislation it supports - was exceeded by all 13 Queens Democrats.

"People talk the talk about the environment - fewer walk the walk," said League President Marcia Bystryn.

She denied Ulrich's mark was party-driven, though the only other Republicans in the Council, Staten Islanders James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio, both also scored 17.

Ulrich, a member of the Council's environmental protection committee, said he was "very disappointed" with the report.

"I've already been portrayed in a false light," said Ulrich, stressing bills he backed on preserving wetlands and remediating tainted soil. "I reject their findings."

The report targets Ulrich's stances on legislation ranging from energy auditing to mandatory bike storage at buildings.

It doesn't count votes he missed before being elected.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who had the second-worst rating among Queens Council members, with 22 points, bashed the league for a grading system that valued only select bills.

"I really think they don't know anything about me," said Crowley, adding she drives a hybrid Mercury Mariner and sponsored Earth Day events at local parks.

The borough's highest rankings went to Democratic councilmen Eric Gioia of Sunnyside and Thomas White of South Ozone Park, who both notched perfect 100s.

Gioia trumpeted his efforts to make New York "a greener, more sustainable city," adding that future generations deserve "a cleaner, healthier environment."

White, a confessed Weather Channel junkie who often watches for alerts on air and water quality, said he was caught off guard by the honor.

"I wasn't trying to keep a report card," he said with a laugh, "but it's nice to know you got a good grade on something."

Bicycle Still Beats Subway & Taxi in Queens-to-Midtown Rush-Hour Race by Chloe Rosenberg and Sarah Armaghan - NY Daily News

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And they're off! Competitors take off for the Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race. DelMundo for News

When it comes to getting around the city, two wheels are still better than four.

For the fifth year in a row, cycling ruled the road in Transportation Alternatives' annual commuter race Thursday, with a biker beating a straphanger and a cabbie.

It took librarian Rachel Myers 20 minutes and 15 seconds to pedal 4.2 miles from Sunnyside, Queens, to Columbus Circle during the morning rush.

"Woo hoo!" the 29-year-old Brooklynite shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "Just goes to show that bikes rule this city!"

Subway rider Dan Hendrick - who hopped the No. 7 in Sunnyside and transferred to the No. 1 at Times Square - arrived 15 minutes later.

Hendrick, 38, usually rides the rails to work at the New York League of Conservation Voters, but he may be switching to pedal power.

"Twenty minutes saved is a lot in the morning," he said. "I could really use that time to get a latte or something."

A yellow cab rolled up to the finish line 27 minutes after Myers, costing passenger Willie Thompson $30 and precious commuting time.

"I always thought [cabs] were the fastest," said Thompson, 30, a nonprofit e-marketer from Flatbush, Brooklyn.

"But it was so slow, it was brutal. I'm exhausted from sitting so long!"

The bike, of course, is also the most environmentally friendly option with no carbon emissions, compared with 2pounds for the subway and 6pounds for the cab.

Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives reminded commuters that with more than 600 miles of bike paths in the city, cycling is more efficient than ever.

"I think there's no commodity more important to New Yorkers than their time," said Norvell. "And clearly, if you've got somewhere to be in a hurry, riding a bike is the way to go."

Council Candidates Talk About Transit by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Candidates in the 32nd Council District special election participate in first forum. From left are Sam DiBernardo, Glenn DiResto, Frank Gulluscio, moderators Anthony Gellineau and Ken Fisher, Lew Simon, Geraldine Chapey and Eric Ulrich.

The candidates were tame and the atmosphere friendly at the first debate between the hopefuls running in the 32nd Council District special election.

Six of the seven candidates, three of whom had not made it onto the ballot as of Wednesday, sat in a row in the basement of St. Anthony of Padua Church in South Ozone Park last Wednesday night.

After introducing themselves in one-minute opening statements, the candidates answered questions from members of the audience and the debate moderators — Ken Fisher of the New York League of Conservation Voters and Anthony Gellineau of the South Ozone Park Civic Association West.

The focus of the forum, sponsored by the two organizations, was transportation in the district — why it is inadequate and what can be done to improve it. All the candidates agreed that mass transit in south Queens is, in one oft-repeated word, “deplorable.”

A major reason transportation is lacking in much of the district’s neighborhoods — which include Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach and the Rockaways — is their geographic isolation, Fisher said before asking the candidates how they would go about increasing those options.

Glenn DiResto, a retired NYPD lieutenant and Rockaway resident, said he would work with the City Council’s Transportation Committee to ensure greater oversight of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Not having mass transit options “make us all feel like outsiders in our community,” DiResto said, adding that that must immediately be put to an end.

Democratic District Leader Frank Gulluscio, a Howard Beach resident and former teacher, touted his experience as a former staff member of then-city councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. before noting he has worked with the committee and its chairman, Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing).

Gulluscio told audience members to be pragmatic, reminding them of the local and national fiscal crisis — the MTA will not build new trains or stations or start spending millions of dollars, he said. With that in mind, Gulluscio said he would work on improving the quality of existing transportation.

Lifelong Rockaway resident and Democratic District Leader Lew Simon said he has been calling for the reactivation of the Rockaway Beach line of the Long Island Rail Road for many years.

If the line were reopened, it would save south Queens residents a tremendous amount of travel time, he said, noting that a ride from Howard Beach to Penn Station would take 20 minutes — a big improvement from the typical hour and a half it takes commuters riding the A train.

The youngest candidate in the Feb. 24 special election, 24-year-old Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich of Ozone Park, said the real question is how is the district’s next city council representative will deal with the MTA as a quasi-state organization.

In addition to more oversight of the MTA, Ulrich said it is essential to improve the agency’s level of transparency. “The MTA has two sets of books,” Ulrich said, and the public must have access to them both, to know exactly how money is being spent and affairs are being handled.

Geraldine Chapey, a fourth-generation Rockaway resident and Democratic district leader, echoed Ulrich’s sentiments. “The MTA wastes money,” Chapey said. “It needs to be more efficient and fiscally responsible.”

Chapey, who in 1994 started Trinity Senior Services — a community transportation program for the elderly in south Queens — is concerned that the region’s transit system is not aimed at seniors. “Baby boomers are going to need services,” she said. The MTA should be looking for new alternatives and technologies to improve its operations, Chapey added.

Sam DiBernardo, a 74-year-old former educator from Howard Beach, also emphasized the used of technology as a means of improvement for the MTA.

His specialty being education, DiBernardo said everything always comes back to the way things are handled in the classroom: the MTA could work with students in technology-specific schools or programs to come up with more efficient and effective solutions, he said.

Among the other subjects discussed during the debate was education. The candidates were asked their opinions of mayoral control of city schools — they all said it needs “tweaking” — and their plans to address gangs, violence and overcrowding in schools.

Each candidate said the bottom line is communication between all parties: students, parents, teachers, school administrators, Department of Education heads and the NYPD school safety division.

The economic development of the Rockaways was also an issue that got much attention from the contenders. Each acknowledged that the peninsula is in poor shape.

The city has neglected Rockaway, used it as a dumping ground and treated it like “dreck,” or garbage, according to DiResto, Simon and DiBernardo, respectively. Joining them in lambasting the city’s treatment of the peninsula, Chapey and Gulluscio both said it’s time for economic revitalization in Rockaway.

The city needs to start promoting and marketing the peninsula, DiBernardo said. Simon and Chapey said Rockaway needs a college. Ulrich and Gulluscio want to eliminate the toll on the Cross Bay Bridge — the only way in and out of Rockaway from Queens. Rockaway, DiResto said, “should be a recreation destination.”

NYLCV Doesn't Endorse, But Weighs In On Council Specials by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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The New York League of Conservation Voters won't be issuing endorsements in the Feb. 24 City Council special elections due to the nonpartisan nature and compressed timeline of the contests, but that doesn't mean the environmental group is letting candidates off easy.

The NYLCV is partnering with local organizations in the 32nd (Queens) and 49th (Staten Island) council districts to promote two of its signature issues - mass transit and waterfront access/quality.

To that end, voters in those districts will be receiving mailers today - 15,000 in the 32nd and 17,000 in the 49th - followed by two rounds of robo calls, and one round of live calls in the weeks leading up to the elections.

In addition, the NYLCV is hosting two candidate nights: One in Queens on Feb. 4 (South Ozone Park Civic Association) and another in Staten Island on Feb. 10.

The NYCLV is keeping its political arm active after playing a key role in the Democrats' successful push to take control of the state Senate last fall. The League focused in particular on Democrat Brian Foley's campaign to oust Republican (now former) Sen. Caesar Trunzo.