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Gowanus Named Superfund Site (Update)
March 2nd, 2010

gowanus

In a blow to the Bloomberg administration, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has named the slithering Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn a Superfund site.

The designation would require parties responsible for the canal’s pollution — which is sure to include manufacturing companies and oil refineries that have lined the canal’s shores for decades — to clean it up. This almost always involves court proceedings. That clean up of the 1.8 mile long canal, according to the Times, will likely take between 10 to 12 years.

The decision, which has been years in the making, could set aside the Bloomberg administration’s own plans to clean up the canal, which includes dredging from the Army Corp of Engineers and sewer system upgrades.

“It’s disappointing,” said Marc LaVorgna, a mayoral spokesperson, in an e-mailed statement. “We had an innovative and comprehensive approach that was a faster route to a Superfund-level cleanup and would have avoided the issues associated with a Superfund listing. The project will now move on a Superfund timeline, but we are going to work closely with the EPA because we share the same goal – a clean canal. Local residents and businesses raised concerns about the impact of a Superfund designation on their community and we hope that the EPA will work with us to address those concerns as they move forward.”

Supporters of the designation see today’s decision as a long-awaited victory.

“After 150 years of abuse and neglect the Gowanus Canal will finally get the comprehensive cleanup that the residents of the area deserve,” stated Josh Verleun, Riverkeeper Attorney & Chief Investigator. “The toxic legacy of coal tar, PCBs, pesticides, and other contamination of the Gowanus can only be cleaned through a comprehensive Superfund cleanup; we are gratified to see the EPA stepping up to this task.”

In addition to the mayor’s alternate plan, the designation will also likely destroy development plans from Toll Brothers, who planned to build an approximately 460-unit residential development along the Carroll Gardens side of the canal. The City Council has already approved the rezoning for the project. The developer has said in the past that if the Superfund designation moved forward it would abandon the project along the canal. Toll Brothers is already reportedly eying another location in DUMBO.

The EPA will be holding a meeting Thursday in Carroll Gardens to discuss the next steps.

For more on the designation, check out these stories we ran last year — one from Toll Brothers and one from environmental group, Riverkeeper, who was supportive of the canal’s designation.

UPDATE: David Von Spreckelsen, a Toll Brothers senior vice president, told Gotham Gazette this afternoon that Toll Brothers will not be “going forward” with its project along the Gowanus now that it’s a Superfund site.

“Obviously we are very disappointed,” said Von Spreckelsen. “We had hoped that the EPA would seriously consider the mayor’s alternative plan, and obviously they didn’t. At this point, we don’t see the possibility of going forward.”

By Courtney Gross on March 2, 2010, 11:53 am
In category: City Hall, Environment, Gotham City, Law, Parks, Public Finance, Waterfront, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Parks Slated to Shutter
February 19th, 2010

This just in from our Parks Topic Page Writer Anne Schwartz:

Governor David Paterson’s $11 million cut from the state parks operating budget would close parks for the first time in the system’s 125-year history. Today, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation released a list of 56 parks and historic sites recommended for closure as well as 24 locations where service would be reduced.

Among the parks that would be affected in the New York City area are Riverbank State Park in Harlem, where the outdoor swimming pool would be closed and operating hours reduced, and popular destinations in Long Island and Westchester.

In addition to the loss of recreational outlets for families squeezed by the recession, closing parks would actually result in a net financial loss for the state, according to one study.

State parks and historic sites generate $1.9 billion annually in economic activity statewide and 20,000 non-park jobs statewide, according to a 2009 study by the Political Economy Research Group. For every dollar the state spends on parks, it gets back $5 dollars in economic activity.

Closing parks would also erase decades of state investment, leaving buildings, bathrooms, trails, sports facilities and natural areas vulnerable to neglect and vandalism. Repairing the damage could be far more costly than keeping parks open. Once a park is closed, they could remain shuttered for years.

It makes more sense to invest in the parks and make them part of the plan to revitalize our economy, as the government did during the Great Depression.

By Courtney Gross on February 19, 2010, 3:16 pm
In category: Albany, Environment, Gotham City, Parks, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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Broadway Walkway Here to Stay
February 11th, 2010

For all you Times Square revelers, the Bloomberg administration is going to give you a little more room to stretch your legs — permanently.
broadway
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced this morning the pedestrian plazas at Times and Herald Squares were here to stay. When the plazas were first announced in February last year, the administration said they would be made permanent if they improved traffic flow on 6th and 7th avenues and if it made the areas safer for pedestrians.

The results, according to the administration, will allow tourists and New Yorkers alike to sit back and relax in the plazas colorful furnishings for years to come.

According to the Department of Transportation, travel speeds for trips north in West Midtown improved by 17 percent from fall 2008 to 2009, compared with 8 percent in East Midtown. For trips south in West Midtown, travel speeds fell 2 percent. East Midtown had an increase of 3 percent, according to the transportation department.

Before this morning’s announcement, some speculated that the results would not be good enough to keep the plazas. A report in the New York Times said officials found the results “disappointing.”

Disappointing or not, Times and Herald Squares have officially been taken over by pedestrians.

Pictured above is Times Square now and below is a video from the transportation department about the project.

By Courtney Gross on February 11, 2010, 11:56 am
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Crime & Safety, Environment, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Land Use, Parks, Transportation, nextNY | No Comments »

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The City's Nastiest Neighborhoods
January 27th, 2010

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Photo (cc) 2009 Adrian Miles ©

Is your neighborhood spic and span or rife with refuse?

The Bloomberg administration puts most of the city in the former category and hopes to keep it that way despite a budget crunch. Last month, the Mayor’s Office of Operations reported 97.3 percent of city sidewalks and 96.1 percent of city streets were largely litter free.

But is the city right? The Huffington Post and Gotham Gazette want to know how clean you think your neighborhood is. Has the Bloomberg administration wiped noxious grime and garbage from city streets? Or does trash pile up on your street corner? Is your block cleaner or dirtier than other neighborhoods?

Visit The Huffington Post here to upload photos of your most frightening tales of city trash. Or you can comment below.

And check back later next week to see whether your block is a refuge for neat freaks or still grapples with garbage.

By Courtney Gross on January 27, 2010, 11:55 am
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Crime & Safety, Environment, Gotham City, Health, Parks, Waterfront, nextNY | No Comments »

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Advocates, Bloomberg: No Hydrofracking Please
January 25th, 2010

The rain didn’t stop hundreds from gathering at the capitol today to protest planned natural gas drilling in upstate. Protesters cited concerns that the  process of unlocking the natural gas known as hydrofracking could contaminate drilling water, and destroy natural landscapes. Groups from across the state demanded that plans to drill be delayed so that the process can undergo greater scrutiny.

“Ordinary New Yorkers who rely on state government to ensure that their drinking water is safe can’t pay-to-play by writing big checks for campaign contributions and don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on lobbyists, so they come to Albany to have their voices heard,” said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/NY.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was in town to testify at joint budget hearings, lent his voice to the chorus. “If the pessimist are right the consequences are so severe that it’s not a risk we should run,” Bloomberg said.  “I do not think that we should allow fracture drilling anywhere near our water supply.”

A debate over hydrofracking was held by The Times Union and upstate public radio station WAMC today. You can listen to the debate here. Thanks to the Times Union for the link.

By David King on January 25, 2010, 1:39 pm
In category: Albany, Environment, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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Musical Chairs
January 19th, 2010

As promised, today starts the seat swapping in the Bloomberg administration.

For the next three weeks, first deputy commissioners will be assigned to another agency in the hopes of breaking down bureaucratic barriers. The idea was integral to the mayor’s inauguration address on New Year’s Day. Some assignments have been done with specific policy proposals in mind, such as the swap between Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, who are tasked with focusing on foreclosure prevention.

Here are the assignments:

Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) — DOE
Administrative Justice Coordinator (AJC) — CCPC
Business Integrity Commission (BIC) — DSNY
Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) –CUNY
City University of New York (CUNY) — CEO
Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM) — NYC & Co
Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) — CHR
Commission for the United Nations Consular Corps and Protocol (UN) — MOIA
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) — CCRB
Commission on Women’s Issues (CWI) — MOCDV
Commission to Combat Police Corruption (CCPC) — AJC
Community Affairs Unit (CAU) — CECM
Criminal Justice Coordinator (CJC)– Law
Department for the Aging (DFTA) — MOPD
Department of Buildings (DOB) — NYCHA
Department of City Planning (DCP) — HDC
Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) — SCA
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) — HPD
Department of Corrections (DOC) — DHS
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) — EDC
Department of Design and Construction (DDC) — DCLA
Department of Education (DOE) — Parks
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) — DOF
Department of Finance (DOF) — MOO
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DoHMH) — DOC
Department of Homeless Services (DHS) — HHC
Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) — DCA
Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) — MOFTB
Department of Investigation (DOI) — MOCS
Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) — DEP
Department of Probation (DOP) — ACS
Department of Sanitation (DSNY) — BIC
Department of Small Business Services (SBS) — HRA
Department of Transportation (DOT) — DDC
Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) — DOP
Design Commission (Design) — DOT
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) — SBS
Fire Department* (FDNY) — NYPD*
Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) — CAU
Housing Development Corporation (HDC) — LPC
Human Resources Administration (HRA) — DoHMH
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) — DOB
Law Department (Law) — DOI
Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) — DFTA
Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) — CJC
Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting (MOFTB) — DoITT
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) — UN
Mayor’s Office of Operations (MOO) — DCAS
Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) — CWI
Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (MOCDV) — MOVA
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) — DCP
NYC & Company (NYC & Co) — DYCD
Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) — TLC
Office of Emergency Management* (OEM) — FDNY*
Office of Labor Relations* (OLR) — OMB*
Office of Management and Budget* (OMB) — OLR*
Police Department* (NYPD) — OEM*
School Construction Authority (SCA) — Design
Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) — OATH

Those with an asterisk are participating in the second phase of the program starting February 1.

By Courtney Gross on January 19, 2010, 2:32 pm
In category: City Hall, Civil Rights, Community Development, Economy, Education, Electoral Politics, Environment, Governing, Housing, Immigrants, Land Use, Law, Measuring UP, Parks, Transportation, Waterfront, nextNY | No Comments »

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Air Pollution Borough by Borough
December 15th, 2009

Image provided by the mayor's office

Image provided by the mayor's office


The Bloomberg administration released its first ever street-level air survey chronicling the air quality in every borough. The survey showed that Manhattan’s high traffic areas have the worst air quality.

The survey compiles data, including measurements of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and elemental carbon, gathered from 150 sites throughout the city last winter. The survey was conducted as part the mayor’s PlaNYC 2030 — his vision for sustainability in the five boroughs.

In a prepared statement, the mayor, who is at the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, said, “We are collecting air samples around the city at ground level so we can measure the air New Yorkers breathe while walking on the streets. This study clearly demonstrates the impacts that pollution from vehicles and certain oil-burning boilers has on our neighborhoods – and it shows us that the most densely populated areas are also the most polluted.”

The level of pollutants correlated with the level of traffic and building fuel use, according to the survey. All of these contaminants are associated with health problems, like asthma and emphysema.

Just last week, the City Council approved legislation to force large buildings in the city to conduct energy audits every decade. When first introduced, the bill would have also required those buildings to implement the audits’ recommendations, but it was retooled following criticism by property owners. It does require those buildings to conduct maintenance to reduce their energy consumption.

By Courtney Gross on December 15, 2009, 6:14 pm
In category: City Hall, Community Development, Electoral Politics, Environment, Gotham City, Governing, Health, Land Use, Law, nextNY, sustainability | No Comments »

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Kingsbridge Vote About Traffic, Jobs?
December 14th, 2009

riveradiaz
Pictured above are Councilmember Joel Rivera and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. at a rally following the council’s vote.

In a rare move, the City Council rejected a proposal from the Bloomberg administration and developer The Related Companies to redevelop a massive armory in the northwest Bronx this morning.

After weeks of debate, the council voted against the proposal, which would have turned the Kingsbridge Armory into a large shopping mall, by a vote of 45 to 1, with one abstention. The project was effectively toppled by a disagreement between the community, the administration and the developer over whether to require the mall’s retailers to pay a living wage, which the community defined as $10 an hour. Today the City Council, led by its Bronx delegation, sided with the community.

For months the subject of a living wage monopolized the discussion over the Kingsbridge Armory. But any living wage settlement would have likely been agreed to in a community benefits agreement, which is not subject to City Council approval. Therefore at its meeting today, council members cited other areas of the developer’s land use application that did fall within their purview, like traffic, as a reason why the proposal was rejected.

“We have been very clear that there were a number of issues, many have been traffic and environmental, germane to the land use process, some separate from the land use process, which often happens in land use negotiations,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

“Obviously none of them were resolved,” said Quinn.

Today was the final day for the council to act on the project. The council has 50 days after a project is approved by the City Planning Commission to either reject or accept it. The armory rejection will now go to the mayor, who is expected to veto it. Quinn said there were enough votes in the City Council to override a mayoral veto.

The project, according to the administration, would have brought thousands of temporary and permanent jobs to the area.

The mayor, who is at the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen, issued the following response after the council’s vote:
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on December 14, 2009, 3:06 pm
In category: City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Environment, Gotham City, Land Use, Public Finance, Transportation, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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The Big Apple's Official Apple
November 30th, 2009

apple

Councilmember Jim Gennaro took a bite out of the big apple today — quite literally.

The Queens-based councilmember chomped into a juicy, green Newtown Pippin on the steps of City Hall this afternoon in order to convince his council colleagues that this Queens-bred fruit should be the city’s official big apple. Gennaro is pushing for a resolution that would only ceremonially give the Newtown Pippin — said to be a favorite of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — the title.

“A symphony of sweetness,” said Gennaro after a taste.

The apple was first grown in the Elmhurst section of Queens around 1730, according to Gennaro, and it has since gained popularity in Virginia, where it is grown on the former estates of two of the country’s founding fathers.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn declined to endorse the resolution today, saying only that she liked the fact that the apple was green — also her favorite color. Gennaro said this issue has not been on top of the council’s priority list (some might say reasonably).

The resolution, Gennaro said, is part of a push to give the apple a boost in popularity in the city. Gennaro, a local business, Green Apple Cleaners, and a group charged with the apple’s resurgence, Newtown Pippin Restoration and Celebration, have been working with gardens, schools and communities to plant new trees across the city.

Today, Gennaro plans on putting Newtown Pippins and apple muffins on council members’ desks — an attempt to tempt them into co-sponsoring his resolution.

By Courtney Gross on November 30, 2009, 2:28 pm
In category: City Hall, Environment, Gotham City, nextNY | No Comments »

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Yankees Beat Giants in Paper Tossing
November 12th, 2009

Judging by the amount of debris cleaned up after their victory parades, New Yorkers were more excited by the Yankees 27th World Series victory than the Giants third Super Bowl win last year. The tallies are in, and the Department of Sanitation reports cleaning up 56.5 tons of paper after the Yankees parade. The Giants left behind 36.5 tons.

Of the total cleaned this year, 18.2 tons were recycled by the Sanitation Department. But only about a ton of the confetti came from recycled paper, donated by the Downtown Alliance and Atlas Materials of Red Hook. In fact, it was widely reported that a number of important documents were tossed into the streets.

But neither can stand anywhere near the 5,000 tons of paper that filled the air during the 1945 V-J parade.

By Mike Muller on November 12, 2009, 2:15 pm
In category: Environment | No Comments »

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Newtown Creek, Here Comes the EPA
September 24th, 2009

Six months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started exploring a Superfund designation for Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal, they have launched a second investigation into Newtown Creek.

Today the agency announced it has nominated the creek for the controversial Superfund title, which will kick off a series of public hearings and discussion on the drawbacks and the benefits of being named a Superfund site. Already, several representatives of the area support the designation, including Reps. Anthony D. Weiner and Nydia Velázquez.

We covered the story of Newtown Creek (and other potential superfund sites) here.

In a prepared statement, Weiner said, ““I am pleased to see that while the oil companies lag in their cleanup responsibilities and put the health and safety of Newtown Creek’s residents at further risk, the EPA has decide to take action and hold these companies responsible for their negligence. Newton Creek is the single most polluted waterway in New York City, a legacy left by more than a century of heavy industrial activity.”

Just approximately 5 miles north of the Gowanus, Newtown Creek is the site of the country’s largest coastal oil spill, dating back to the 1950s when the site was the home of a refinery operation by Standard Oil — Exxon Mobil’s predecessor. Still, oil companies line its shores and putrid stenches typically overpower the adjacent neighborhood of Greenpoint.

When a site is designated as a superfund, the federal government officially takes over the cleanup of the area. They hunt down the responsible parties (in this case most likely oil companies) and make them pay for the entire cleanup. Most often, this means years of lawsuits.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on September 24, 2009, 11:09 am
In category: City Hall, Environment, Gotham City, Health, Housing, Parks, Waterfront, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Breathing vs. Smoking in the Park
September 17th, 2009

Anne Schwartz, Gotham Gazette’s parks writer, filed this post.

People interviewed in a New York Times article about the city’s proposed ban on smoking in the parks (and commenting about it online) derided the idea as an extension of the nanny state, an intrusion on individual freedom, harassment of smokers and ridiculous considering the much greater threat posed by car exhaust, among other things.

But if you’ve ever been on a crowded beach or at an outdoor concert next to people continually lighting up, you may be applauding the city’s latest move to force New Yorkers to be healthier — although probably more because of a concern for your own health than for that of the smokers.

As one commenter noted, “It’s not just a preference for me; cigarette smoke is the most powerful trigger of my asthma there is.”
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on September 17, 2009, 3:31 pm
In category: Environment, Gotham City, Health, Parks | 7 Comments »

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Not a Coup for the Environment
September 9th, 2009

The Senate coup did New York’s environment no favors according to a preliminary voters guide released by EPL/Environmental Advocates yesterday. The scorecard grades legislators on their voting record on bills that benefit the environment.

According to the preliminary study the Senate voted on half as many environmentally friendly bills as they did last year. The Senate only passed 6 bills favored by environmental activists this year. In previous years the Senate managed to act on 15 or more bills.

Legislators’ individual scores also fell dramatically. Senate President Malcolm Smith scored a failing grade of 55 this year. Last year Smith scored a 77. Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos saw his score fall dramatically from last year’s 76 to 23 this year.

But the Senate has a chance to boost its record on the environment when it returns to session on Thursday, as a number of environmental bills are slated for a vote.  “We are hoping the Senate doesn’t waste another opportunity,” said EPL’s David Gahl. Read the rest of this entry »

By David King on September 9, 2009, 3:05 pm
In category: Albany, Environment, Eye on Albany | No Comments »

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How Hard is It to Get Fresh Produce?
July 10th, 2009

foodcart
Photo (cc) dave_7

Who knew finding an apple would be so difficult in the Big Apple?

Less than a quarter of New York City food retailers — everything from your local bodega to the neighborhood Key Food — are likely to sell fresh fruits and vegetables, according to the city’s health department. That number becomes even more rotten since the amount of supermarkets in the five boroughs has been slashed by a third in the past six years.

Now The Huffington Post and Gotham Gazette want to know how the city’s supermarket drought affects you.

How hard is it for you to get fruits and vegetables? On average how many blocks do you have to walk to get fresh produce? Do you think it’s easier in your neighborhood than other areas? More difficult? And has access to food stores changed since the recession?

Send your responses to nyfooddrought@gmail.com and sign up here to join The Huffington Post’s New York citizen reporting unit.

We will analyze your responses and report back later this week.

By Courtney Gross on July 10, 2009, 10:37 am
In category: Environment, Health, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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Patrolling Pedicabs
June 29th, 2009

The three-wheeled, human-powered pedicab lobby rolled into City Hall this morning for a surprisingly calm hearing on new regulations that would license the industry for the first time.

It was calm in comparison to the so-called chaos the industry causes in Times Square.

The new regulations — which could be approved by the City Council as early as July, according to Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman Leroy Comrie — would do away with a previous cap on licenses and replace it with a 60-day window to apply to operate a pedicab. The City Council had attempted to regulate the human-powered cabs in 2007, limiting their number to 325, but it was then sued by the New York City Pedicab Owners’ Association. The court struck down the city regulations, which the administration opposed as well, and derailed the implementation of the cap.

The new regulations, which the administration and the City Council agreed upon earlier this month, would require pedicabs to register with the Department of Consumer Affairs. They would be subject to safety checks, drivers would be required to have a license and every cab would have to have seat belts, headlights and taillights. Their brakes would also be subject to inspection. Every pedicab business could only license 30 pedicabs.

After the 60-day licensing period, there would be an 18-month freeze on pedicab licensing. Licenses could be transferred between owners.

A major concern for the industry and city officials is safety. Currently, critics say, completely unregulated pedicabs crowd Times Square and speed along roadways, endangering passengers. Earlier this month, before the announcement of the new regulations, a driver and passenger were seriously injured when a pedicab collided with a yellow cab on the Williamsburg Bridge.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on June 29, 2009, 4:03 pm
In category: Environment, Gotham City, Law, Transportation, nextNY | 2 Comments »

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Hiram at the Council
June 11th, 2009

Not long ago, the state’s now infamous Democratic defector, Sen. Hiram Monserrate, was a member of the New York City Council.

There, he established a primarily Democratic record, and he rarely (like the rest of his colleagues) voted against the City Council speaker’s agenda. For the most part, he kept in line.

Maybe the air in Albany sparked something in him?

He did seem to have a moderate streak, voting against a bill to restrict campaign contributions from those that do business with the city, the city’s green cart legislation and also a cell phone ban at performances. In total, Monserrate voted no 26 times from January 2006 until January 2009, when he left the council to join the Senate.

When asked yesterday about his time at the council, Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she would let his “record speak for itself.”

You can check out his full voting record through our handy City Laws Database.

By Courtney Gross on June 11, 2009, 1:12 pm
In category: Albany, Electoral Politics, Environment, Governing, Health, Law, nextNY | 1 Comment »

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The Manhattan Project's Legacy on Staten Island
June 4th, 2009

(This post was reported and written by Melissa Checker.)

Last week, I reported on the “toxic stew” surrounding Staten Island’s North Shore. (For that article, go here.) That story was scary enough, but information obtained over the past week reveals that the scenario is actually much worse than initially reported. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency document reveal that a former warehouse on the North Shore played a significant part in the Manhattan Project — a role that went terribly awry, leaving levels of radium and uranium contamination nearly 10 times higher than allowable standards in some places.

Click here for the full story.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Gail Robinson on June 4, 2009, 2:28 pm
In category: Albany, Environment, Gotham City, Waterfront, sustainability | No Comments »

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Water Rate Increased Today
May 15th, 2009

The Water Board today voted to raise rates 12.9 percent, a slightly smaller increase than their original proposal of a 14 percent hike. The Department of Environmental Protection said the lower hike was possible because they were able to cut operating costs, more people are paying their bills on time and energy costs have dropped. They also softened the regulations for pursuing suspected water thieves.

For more, see Gotham Gazette’s “Gold from the Faucet.”

By Mike Muller on May 15, 2009, 11:27 am
In category: Community Development, Environment | No Comments »

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Phthalates Create Fat?
April 17th, 2009

A common chemical found in childhood toys has been linked to childhood obesity, according to a new study by researchers at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

The study, first reported by City Room, showed that young girls in East Harlem and in adjacent communities that were obese had higher levels of phthalates in their urine. Phthalates can be found in childhood toys. The chemical makes plastic flexible.

Interestingly, a proposal was floated about two years ago in the City Council to ban these types of toys. Councilmember Eric Gioia suggested banning toys that had more than .1 percent of phthalates. Then, the chemical was primary linked to carcinogens — not obesity.

San Fransisco has already banned these types of products and so have several European countries.
Read the rest of this entry »

By Courtney Gross on April 17, 2009, 3:37 pm
In category: Environment, Health | No Comments »

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Recycling Looking Good to Frugal Eyes
April 16th, 2009

“With the cost of exporting the city’s regular rubbish expected to rise by $80 million over the next few years and reach $395 million in 2012,” Doug Turetsky writes on the Independent Budget Office blog, “it may be fiscally prudent to pull the city’s recycling rates out of the trash bin.” (Just in time for Earth Day.)

Although it is currently cheaper to ship our trash to landfills and incinerators, he points out that the rising costs are beginning to make recycling look like a promising alternative.

Besides, the city has yet to even reach its current target of diverting 25 percent of recyclables from the trash, he adds. But if we were to meet that goal, it could reduce the price of recycling further, the IBO points out. That diversion goal doesn’t include forms of waste the city doesn’t accept for recycling, such as plastic take-out containers.

Still, the economic downturn is affecting the cost paid for recyclables, which doesn’t help.

Perhaps another way to divert waste from landfills is dealing with electronic waste, which is also often hazardous. Last year, the City Council passed legislation requiring manufacturers to set up free and accessible recycling centers for their products by 2010. In the meantime, an organization called The 4th Bin has launched a competition for the design of e-waste recycling bins.

And the new bottle deposit bill passed by the state could also help divert recyclables. Called the “bigger better bottle bill,” it will expand the 5 cent deposit fee to non-carbonated beverages.

By Mike Muller on April 16, 2009, 7:35 pm
In category: Albany, Environment, Public Finance | No Comments »

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