Notes from RSC/350 NJ-Rockland meeting July 11, 2017 at Nyack Library

Quick announcements:

  • Dutchtown (hamlet in Haverstraw) is investigating health concerns due to Tilcon’s mine and resulting dust. Could include arsenic, silica, barium, chromium.
  • consensus to host program in the fall on carbon tax;
  • today is World Population Day, as population contributes to environmental damage. Possible program next year?
  • Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipeline caravan to get towns to pledge to be off fossil fuels by 2035

Divestment (Mimi):

  • Mark Dunlea will speak at our Sept. 5 meeting about bill to mandate divestment of NYS pension funds;
  • met with Zebrowski & Carlucci; bill will come up again next year; online petition
  • exploring Rockland college endowment funds and personal divestment;
  • need more people on divestment committee;
  • think about how to reach out to people who don’t go to the website (maybe use Meetup, maybe do survey—can get mailing list from people who fill out survey);
  • need to promote Sept. 5 program in August.

New Planet Energy (Jacqui):

  • the company is working with DEC to improve plans—will need another new scoping and EIS;
  • Jacqui sent letter to New Planet and shared some of the answers to concerns;
  • interested parties go to dec.ny.gov and fill out a form to get notifications about the project;
  • Jacqui also asked for scoping at all 5 town halls, training for first responders, sufficient insurance, air quality data and odor mitigation;
  • we discussed hosting a program on this with both the company and opponents to the project;
  • dilemmas: 1. carbon still goes into atmosphere but not from new petroleum 2. undercutting goal of zero waste though keeping garbage out of landfills;
  • Jacqui: can you find out from the company: What percentage of feedstock is non-recyclable plastic?

Outreach and Education Committee (Kathy):

  • need another co-chair—would help reach out to schools (would like to get high school or college students to do peer education) and community; would focus on what people can do and recruit people to work with us on activism
  • have had several meetings with interested people but need others to participate;
  • putting together Wheel of Fortune game to make climate change education fun & bring people to table; prize of “Fortune of the Earth” they can take to spread the information;
  • need help manning tables at street fairs, farmers markets, Youth Fair at RCC, etc.--if you can help at times, send your name to Peggy at to forward to Kathy

Climate Smart Communities Committee (Peggy):

  • more than just CSC program—catalyst to get local governments to take action on climate change mitigation and adaptation, about climate change, tool to get them to take those kinds of actions, need to stay on their case
  • met with elected officials and candidates,
  • adding request to joining Climate Alliance (in support of Paris Accord)
  • work on County resolution, want to bring Klaus Jacob and other scientists to full Legislature, but need to figure out logistics since full legislature allows only 2 minutes per person for public, including scientists.; Environmental Committee meeting September 27.

NYS legislative update (Gale):

  • Session ended June 22—barge anchorage bill passed Assembly & Senate, now waiting for governor’s signature. Coast Guard announced it will suspend rulemaking on this for a year. Eventually we’ll send an action to call the governor to sign the bill.

◦  EV charging tariff bill also passed legislature and is waiting for signature.

◦  Other bills we promoted, including Pilgrim pipeline bill and oil train liability bill, passed the Assembly but died in the Senate.

◦  Sierra Club opposes a constitutional convention—it will open up the ‘forever wild’ land in the Adirondacks and Catskills to developers, among other bad things. Positive changes could be done by amendment.

  • IDC—excellent article by Susan Hellauer in Nyack News & Views about IDC, 8 Democrats who collaborate with the Republicans, which gives the power to keep good environmental and other bills from coming to the floor for a vote, even when they have enough co-sponors to pass if they were voted on. Article already shared.
  • EPA issued a 5 year review of GE’s cleanup of PCBs in the Hudson River. They’ve said it’s finished and they and GE will monitor the levels in fish in the future. But PCBs are still in the river and it won’t be safe to eat one fish meal a week even after 70 years from now. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS SEPTEMBER 1—ACTION—please send a short comment to the EPA to say the river is not clean and more cleanup is needed. See info and talking points at www.scenichudson.org/pcbs

Suez/water issues update (Peggy):

  • Rockland Water Task Force meeting is July 31, 5:30 pm at New City Library. Despite problems, there has been progress:

◦  County Task Force hiring water conservation planner

◦  A second expert has been hired to do preliminary work on watershed protection plan over the summer. Carlucci got $100,000 from the state towards this project as it moves forward next year..

  • The NYS Building Code Council has voted to adopt WaterSense standards on July 13; the comments they received (most generated by us!) were mostly positive.
  • Suez sent postcards about efficient water fixture rebates, but haven’t put everything on website yet, plus their bills don’t link to the website.

◦  Their low income assistance plan has problems, including that renters and condo owners who are not individually metered are not eligible, they are not promoting Direct Install (in which the entire installation of a toilet is free), and they are refusing to work with the Task Force. Direct install would result in water conservation because low income customers are more likely to have older toilets and less likely to replace a toilet with only a $75 rebate.