Coalition: NY Government Needs to Stop Ignoring Climate Law
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***: September 30th, 2021
Contact: Arielle Swernoff | (646) 450-5461 | arielle@nyrenews.org
Web: @NYRenews | www.nyrenews.org
Coalition: NY Government Needs to Stop Ignoring Climate Law
NY Renews, the nearly 300-member coalition behind the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, today released the following statement about DEC’s decision to ignore the CLCPA in a recent permit renewal application:
“When the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) was signed into law it was hailed as “one of the world’s most ambitious climate plans.” A critically important provision of the law, Section 7, was written to ensure that not some but all state government decisions and actions align with the goals to reduce emissions and decrease the disproportionate climate and pollution burdens on frontline communities, who experience the worst impacts of the climate crisis and the daily assault of unhealthful air pollution.
“Section 7 of the CLCPA is there to ensure that all of state government prioritizes climate action and centers racial and social justice in all decisions related to tackling the climate crisis. It’s the ‘stop doing stupid things’ provision and a key part of what makes this law so transformative.
“Sadly, it does not appear that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has fully embraced the intent and letter of this section of the law. Last week, DEC ignored the law when it determined the Valhalla Campus permit renewal (and others like it) were not covered by CLCPA Section 7. This is unacceptable, a bad reading of the law, and it cannot continue. Ignoring Section 7 perpetuates racial, economic, and climate injustice.
“We call on Governor Hochul to put a quick stop to this pattern of ignoring the law, and with it the needs and health of New York’s communities.”
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