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This Issue - NYC Waterfront Plan Update; Fair Share Reform; Support
NYC-EJA Fundraising Campaign |
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| Greetings! |
The
City of New York is currently updating its Waterfront
Revitalization Plan (WRP) through two related planning processes:
Vision 2020 and WAVES. The NYC Waterfront Revitalization Plan
(WRP) adopted in 2002 encourages the concentration and clustering
of industrial & maritime development in 6 areas called
Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas (SMIAs). SMIA
designations are found in the largely low-income communities of
color of: Sunset Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Newtown Creek,
the South Bronx and Staten Island's North Shore. Development
applications in SMIA's are treated differently and to a lesser
review standard than other waterfront areas, thereby easing the
siting and clustering of polluting infrastructure. All SMIA's are
also in storm surge zones. (SMIA and storm surge maps are on our
website www.NYC-EJA.org).
Our great concern is that, given the concentration of industrial
materials and uses in SMIA's, any significant storm surge may lead
to human exposure to hazardous materials and contamination of
waters with dangerous chemicals, heavy metals or other hazardous
substances - toxic waters that could migrate to other parts of the
waterfront as well as upland acreage. As floodwaters recede
brownfields will emerge in their wake.
NYC-EJA's recommendations for SMIA reform in our neighborhoods
include:
1. Require adequate buffers for residential and existing
development uses
2. Require public access (as the WRP mandates for other
sections of the waterfront), unless proven unfeasible. Permeable
surfaces should be used.
3. Require all port and industrial facilities and
infrastructure to develop plans and be equipped to handle natural
disasters such as hurricanes and storm surges.
4. Incorporate industrial best practices and reduce/limit
hazardous material use. Prohibit open storage of chemicals in
SMIA's.
5. Use FEMA funds to help "green" port and upland industrial
facilities/processes.
6. Discourage siting of non-water-dependent uses that use,
store or transport hazardous materials or produce excessive dust,
odor and/or noise from locating in SMIA's. To make this possible,
preserve adequate manufacturing space in other manufacturing areas
such as IBZ's and other M-zoned land, thus providing space for
non-water-dependent industrial uses.
7. Lobby to make disaster preparation an incentive for
lowering insurance costs.
8. Identify/map potential sources of hazardous materials and
evaluate their vulnerability during storm events in SMIA's (i.e.:
Risk Assessment as a community mapping).
9. Support/coordinate with local community resiliency
plans.
10. Require Fair Share analyslis prior to siting/permitting
private as well as public facilities that use, store or transport
hazardous materials or produce excessive dust or noise.
Given last week's severe storm event (NYC's 2nd tornado in three
years), and the recently passed 5th anniversary of Hurricane
Katrina, more and more waterfront cities are grappling with the
issues of climate change, storm surges and toxic water exposure.
These issues loom large for NYC's EJ communities, many of whom are
waterfront communities. President Obama's call for a national
infrastructure commitment presents an opportunity NYC should avail
itself of.
If you have any questions, please contact NYC-EJA Executive
Director Eddie Bautista at nyceja@gmail.org
Fighting for cleaner and just communities - one block at a
time,
The NYC Environmental Justice Alliance
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Fair
Share Reform
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The Charter Revision Commission voted unanimously to propose
adding Fair Share language to the Charter mandating that the Atlas
of City-owned Property (i.e. - the map of all City properties
published with the Annual Statement of Needs) include all State,
Federal and private facilities that handle solid waste and
transportation in each Community Board. Right now, the Atlas only
includes City-owned property, which means that City agencies and
the public only have a partial sense of our community's
environmental burdens. NYC-EJA lobbied the Charter Revision
Commission for months, and testified at nearly every
hearing.
When New Yorkers vote at the polls in November, we can vote for a
more environmentally just City Charter. Please vote Yes on:
"City Question 2. Elections and Government Administration: Map for
Facility Siting - Include in the City's facilities siting map those
transportation and waste management facilities operated by or for
governmental entities, or by private entities that provide
comparable services."
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| NYC-EJA
Fundraising Campaign |
As
NYC-EJA approaches its 20th anniversary, we ask your help to
sustain our campaigns for environmental justice. Please help
NYC-EJA reach its fundraising goal of $5000 by October 30th.
Founded in 1991, NYC-EJA, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, is
NYC's only federation of community-based organizations fighting for
environmental justice. From equitable energy policies to solid
waste to brownfield redevelopment, NYC-EJA and its members have
enjoyed an unparalleled string of victories that have begun
reversing decades of environmental burdens and inequities for our
most vulnerable communities. (Please visit www.NYC-EJA.org
to learn more about our current campaigns and past
accomplishments.)
But we need your help to continue our successes.
Your tax deductible online contribution at www.NYC-EJA.org
will support NYC-EJA's ongoing campaigns, including new challenges
posed by climate change. You can also mail a check payable to: New
York City Environmental Justice Alliance, 166A 22nd Street,
Brooklyn, NY, 11232.
Become an EJ Friend - $50.00
Become an EJ Ally - $100.00
Become an EJ Champion - $200.00 (our 200x200 campaign!)
Hasta la proxima,
Eddie Bautista
Executive Director
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