August has been a month of internal reflection and strategizing as the summer comes to an end. Read on, as we gear up for an eventful September. | |
North Brooklyn Waste Transfer Station Tour | |
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The Transform Dont Trash (TDT) coalition, alongside Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Chair of the City Council Committee on Sanitation Councilmember Shaun Abreu, toured the cluster of waste transfer stations in North Brooklyn this month. Along the way, the group saw firsthand the air pollution, truck traffic, working conditions, and negative impacts these facilities have on the surrounding communities. As the City rolls out Commercial Waste Zones, as mandated under Local Law 199 of 2019, TDT will continue to closely monitor the implementation of the program.
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Supporting California’s Advanced Clean Fleets Waiver | |
 |  | In August, alongside ElectrifyNY partners, NYC-EJA testified to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granting California’s waiver without delay to begin implementing the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) program. The ACF regulations build on the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) standard approved in 2021 and adopted by ten other states by ensuring 100% new zero-emissions truck sales by 2036. While ACT imposed requirements on truck manufacturers to manufacture, for sale, an increasing percentage of zero-emission trucks, ACF ensures that the consumer demand will exist for these trucks by requiring both public and certain high-priority private fleet owners to purchase them. ACF will improve the health and quality of life of low-income communities of color suffering daily from the deadly diesel pollution spews from nearby ports, rail yards, highways, and e-commerce warehouses. Any rejection or delay in the EPA's approval of this waiver could result in states like New York being unable to adopt the regulation or losing vital years of implementation time, weakening the benefits to public health, frontline communities, and the economy.
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This month we had two new staff members who joined the NYC-EJA team! We're so excited to have Michael and Allie on board. | |
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Michael Higgins Jr (he/they) is a longtime community organizer born and raised in Brooklyn. He got his start in organizing as a member of Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) doing base building and political education with public housing residents in Fort Greene, Gowanus and Boerum Hill. Later, he worked with Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) as a staff organizer supporting initiatives such as Turning the Tide and the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice (GNCJ). In his previous position as Senior Organizer of Housing and Sustainability at Brooklyn Movement Center, he led tenant association development at local apartment complexes and recruitment for a renewable solar subscription service for low and moderate-income Central Brooklynites. He received his bachelor's degree in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.
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Allie is a skilled marketing and operations professional with expertise in managing complex projects and optimizing processes. Currently pursuing a Master of Science in Marketing and Communications at Loyola University New Orleans, she has successfully managed strategic events and improved data-driven decision-making in her role as a Development Associate at Pace University. Allie also has experience as a Mid-Market Support Specialist at Cision, where she resolved technical challenges and provided exceptional client support. As the Marketing Strategist for the Shades of Resilience Mental Health Conference, she has enhanced the visibility of mental health issues in communities of color. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, with roots in Barbados, Allie is dedicated to advancing her career in operations, communications, and B2B marketing. In her free time, she enjoys reading black romance novels.
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This August, NYC-EJA, NY Renews, and other coalitions that we participate in, spent time in person to assess and strategize at retreats on how to approach our work in the coming years, given the Mayor's plodding climate initiatives, the Governor's weakening position on NYS's Climate Act, attacks from groups like the Business Council, and the State's recent climate action failures. | |
Exciting news! After a short hiatus, we're back with NYC-EJA's 2024 NYC Climate Justice Agenda - a call for the Mayor and Governor to take a comprehensive and just approach to climate action, keeping environmental justice a key priority. Keep an eye out for the report in the coming weeks! | | | | |
