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SUPERFUND VICTORY!In 2003, after years of campaigning by NYPIRG and other groups concerned about toxic waste dumps in New York, the New York State Legislature and Governor Pataki enacted a law to refinance the State Superfund and create a new brownfields cleanup program. Despite efforts by polluters and other business interests to weaken the Superfund program – considered the most stringent clean-up program in the U.S. – the new law maintains the Superfund's tough clean-up criteria, expands the Superfund to include "hazardous substance sites," maintains the historic 50/50 split between industry fees and public funds, provides technical assistance grants for community groups, and refinances the Superfund with an annual projected budget of $120 million. This was a huge victory for communities across the state, where one in four New Yorkers lives within a mile of a Superfund site! The new law also includes a combination of tax and other incentives for the clean-up and redevelopment of brownfields in New York, which are sites that may be contaminated but do not meet the thresholds to be included in the Superfund program. The state Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health are currently developing soil cleanup standards for the brownfields program that protect public health, particularly sensitive populations such as children, and protect groundwater as a drinking water source. As with the Superfund program, New York has the opportunity to again be a national leader with the new brownfields soil cleanup standards. The draft soil regulations are expected to be released by June 2005, followed by a 120-day public comment period and at least three public hearings across the state. NYPIRG will work to ensure that concerned members of the public are informed about these draft regulations and have every opportunity to participate in their development to ensure that they are truly protective of our children and our environment. Click here for more details about the deal. NYPIRG,
together with Citizens' Environmental Coalition, issued a joint memo
in support of this legislation. |
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