Issue Position: Protecting Our Environment

Issue Position

Environment

David will continue the fight in Albany against the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station, an outdated and needlessly expensive mistake. This misguided project promises to put garbage trucks and tons of commercial and residential waste directly next to one of the Upper East Side's only recreational areas. The choice of this site is not only problematic because it is situated in the heart of a residential community, but it is also being built where another large storm would leave it susceptible to flooding. There is no way around the fact that New York City needs to revise this plan. David will do everything possible to stop this project.

According to the New York City Department of Health, the East Side suffers from some of the worst air quality in Manhattan. A large contributor to this problem is the more than 8,000 buildings that are still using number 6 fuel oil. As your Assembly member, David will work to create tax credits for owners of buildings, co-ops and condos to offset the high conversion costs to refit boilers to burn cleaner fuels.

New York State needs to move away from natural gas and fossil fuels and fully embrace alternative energy sources -- wind, water, solar, geothermal and biomass. Developing these resources will benefit all New Yorkers and result in the State's long-term prosperity, both by creating local jobs and saving billions of dollars in pollution-related costs. Although only 11% of the energy New Yorkers currently use for transportation, heating, industrial processes and electric power comes from natural resources, according to the NYSERDA and the U.S. Department of Energy, renewables have the potential to meet as much as 40% of the State's energy needs by 2030 and a full 100% by 2050.

Opposes the 91st Street Waste Transfer Station
Supports Pledge to Protect
Supports closing Indian Point Nuclear power plant
Opposes natural gas drilling/hydrofracking in New York
Supports tax incentives to homeowners and business to convert to solar and wind energy sources
Supports development of more green spaces/parks
Supports strict monitoring of air quality of Cornell Technion during demolition and construction activity
Supports Cornell Technion fiscal contribution to infrastructure maintenance, repair and improvement during demolition and construction activity

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