ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Senate Democratic Majority advanced legislation on Wednesday to protect low-income communities and communities of color from dealing with unfair and unsafe pollution burdens. This legislation builds on protections previously passed as part of the Climate Leadership And Community Protection Act (CCPA).
The new legislation will address and mitigate the effects of climate change in ways that protect environmental justice communities. This legislative package requires environmental impact statements for projects that may impact minority or economically distressed communities.
“New York continues to lead the nation in promoting environmental justice,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “This legislative package provides much-needed and long-overdue environmental and public health protections to low-income communities and communities of color.”
The legislation:
- Prohibits approval of projects that may cause disproportionate pollution to those communities (S.1031B)
- Reduces emissions of toxic air pollutants from above-ground petroleum storage tanks (S.841)
- Requires DEC to establish new standards for toxic air pollutants and lead (S.914)
- Requires that energy efficiency projects and investments benefit environmental justice communities (S.3126A)
- Requires permit applicants for projects that may impact an environmental justice community to prepare and implement a public participation plan (S.3211A)
- Requires fossil-fuel burning peaker power plants in environmental justice communities to submit a plan to DEC for converting to renewable power generation (S.4378A)
- Requires phased-in use of bioheating fuel oil in buildings to reduce air pollution (S.3321)
- Requires the hiring and training for energy efficiency programs from priority populations and environmental justice communities (S.3126A)
