Government
New Bill Would Require NYC Landlords to Distribute Flood Evacuation Plans
Mariana Simões |
The legislation introduced in the City Council last week is geared at keeping tenants in flood-prone basement apartments out of harm’s way.
Citywide
11 Years After Hurricane Sandy, Plan to Build Storm Barriers Around NYC Faces Pushback
Mariana Simões |
Environmentalists say an Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to protect the city from coastal storms using walls and gates fails to address other climate change-related threats, like heavy rainfall.
Government
As NYC Rolls Out Mandatory Composting, Will New Yorkers Comply?
Mariana Simões |
Recycling rates around longtime existing requirements—which ask residents to separate paper, plastics, metal and glass from the rest of their trash—have failed to improve over the last decade. Getting New Yorkers to comply with yet another set of rules could be an uphill battle, experts say.
Government
With ‘Save the Hudson’ Bill Signed, What’s Next for Indian Point?
Jeanmarie Evelly and Mariana Simões |
After a months-long campaign by residents and environmentalists, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to ban the deactivated nuclear power plant from discharging treated waste into the river nearby. But what happens now with the site’s 1 million gallons of radioactive water is uncertain, and advocates are pressing the state to step in further.
Government
NYC Makes it Mandatory for Residential Buildings to Recycle Food Waste
Mariana Simões |
The City Council on Thursday passed a “groundbreaking” legislative package that forces the city to divert food-based garbage away from landfills and reuse it instead for environmentally friendly purposes like composting and generating cleaner energy. But there’s much more to do for the city to reach its Zero Waste goals.
Health and Environment
Beach Season is Here. How Clean is the Water in NYC?
Mariana Simões and Ryan Pullido |
Last season, the city’s 25 beaches saw a total of 244 closures, either because water quality exceeded the city’s safety standards—determined by testing for the bacteria found in fecal matter—or because of excessive rainfall, which increases the likelihood of pollution entering local waterways. That’s up from 94 such closures during the 2021 season.
Economy
Costly Utility Rates Could Jeopardize MTA’s Move to All-Electric Buses
Mariana Simões |
This summer, utility companies must submit plans detailing how they’ll implement a series of solutions to make electricity rates more affordable for electric vehicles. But their plan has fallen short of giving the MTA the preferential rate it says it needs to able to foot the bill, as it seeks to transition its 5,800-bus fleet off fossil fuels.
Government
NY Budget Lays Groundwork for Cap-and-Invest Plan to Charge Polluters, But Details Are Lacking
Mariana Simões |
The bill determines how money generated from the program will be spent but fails to include protective measures for disadvantaged communities, environmentalists warn.
Government
Inside the Fight to Stop Indian Point From Dumping Radioactive Water into the Hudson River
Mariana Simões |
The deactivated nuclear power plant, now run by Holtec, wants to discharge 1 million gallons of radioactive waste into the river as early as August. The dumping will release into the air and waterways an element called tritium that can increase the risk of cancer and lead to miscarriages and birth defects.
Government
Proyecto para modificar ley ambiental de Nueva York incluye propuesta para mantener abierta la última planta de biomasa del estado
Mariana Simões |
Los legisladores están intentando evitar el cierre de la central eléctrica de Black River, en Fort Drum, cambiando la definición estatal de energía renovable para incluir la quema de madera, conocida como biomasa forestal. Se ha demostrado científicamente que este proceso contamina más que el carbón.
