Time To Send Letters To Governor Patterson???
Crain's New York published a very interesting article on the Gowanus Canal proposed Superfunding. It's entitled: "Gov Is Last Hope For Gowanus Builders."
(If link does not work, access article here)
It's a worthwhile read.
It describes Mayor Bloomberg's opposition to the listing of the waterway as a Superfund site and his political wrangling to convince the EPA that the city's questionable, more developer-friendly alternative plan is viable. So far, he has not been successful, though he personally called and lobbied Administrator Jackson, the head of the EPA in Washington.
The article also described the hesitation of some of our elected officials, namely Representative Nydia Velázquez, who has yet to issue a statement for the Superfund listing, though she seemed to be leaning for the designation.
Representative Yvette Clarke has been mostly absent from the debate.
Senator Schumer seems to be among the fence-sitters, while Bill de Blasio has been against it from the start. (I hope you will remember that when you go to the polls for the run-off election today)
Only Daniel Squadron, our State Senator has clearly expressed his preference for letting the EPA handle the clean-up.
Which leaves Governor David Paterson, who is, according to the article: "the last hope for Superfund opponents—led by developers who say banks won't finance their projects if the canal area gets Superfund status, which can linger for decades."
None of the political maneuvering by our elected officials has anything to do with environmental science, which should be the only criteria on whether the polluted canal is worthy of being placed on the list reserved for the most polluted sites in the nation.
To access the Crain's article, click here:
To contact Governor Paterson to ask that he support the community rather than to listen to Mayor Bloomberg and developers, write, phone or email :
For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking
.JPG)
2 comments:
Why would Bloomberg be "dismayed" that Squadron is supporting the superfund? Squadron should represent his constituents not the mayor. Squadron did the right thing here. As did state senator Velmanette Montgmery.
This should not be a political process and Bloomberg should not insert himself into the decision making process. The EPA extended the comment period to accommodate the City and they should not be lobbying after the close of comments for their ill conceived plans. It is inappropriate.
The EPA needs to rely on the submissions of its own experts and not those of developers, politicians who are in the back pockets of developers, the mayor and his fledgling Office of Environmental Remediation, or PRPs (the City being one).
Bloomberg needs to step back and not interfere with the EPA's decision making process. Our elected representatives should, at the very least, convey this message to him.
Superfund the Gowanus NOW!
It really does boggle the mind. First, the City gets the EPA to extend the submission of comments period so that the City can work on their "alternate plan." Then the City (Bloomberg) has the nerve, AFTER the deadline has passed, to commence lobbying the EPA not to Superfund. 80% of the comments to EPA were FOR Superfund. What good is having a comment period, and then not heeding to the overwhelming groundswell of support for Superfund? Superfund Gowanus NOW! The EPA is READY AND ABLE to begin with the huge task at hand to address the polluted, toxic Gowanus. And the majority in our community wants them to!!!
Post a Comment