Addabbo Touts High Environmental Score

Howard Beach, NY (August 31, 2016) In a report released last week by the Environmental Advocates, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo was recognized as one of New York State’s leading legislators fighting to protect the environment from harmful waste and pollution.

Addabbo, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, was given a score of 81 out of 100 for his support of more than 20 pieces of legislation that the Senate voted on during the 2016 legislative session. Of the nearly two dozen bills, Addabbo was proud to be the cosponsor of key environmental efforts including the Child Safe Products Act (S.5995), which aims to increase transparency regarding toxic chemicals used to make toys or other products used by children, as well as a bill (S.884) that would require waste from oil and natural gas products to be treated as hazardous waste.

The Senator also sponsored or voted to approve important pieces of legislation that would protect New York’s environment from harmful chemicals and cut back on waste that contributes to landfills, including bills to reduce food waste by donating leftover food from school lunch programs to charitable meal organizations (S.854), establish a paint stewardship program that provides consumers with an opportunity to safely recycle paint (S.4926), and a bill that would require any organization using capital improvement funds to complete a project to purchase only energy-efficient appliances (S. 3034).

“New York state has cemented its position as a national leader in the fight to help preserve our planet and cut back on unnecessary pollution and waste, and I am proud to be at the center of that as a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee,” said Addabbo. “These bills, along with the many others we were able to pass this year to help protect our Earth, send a strong message that our state values conservation and is ready to lead the way toward a more environmentally-friendly way of life. From removing dangerous chemicals in drinking water to providing incentives to consumers who are gravitating toward the use of renewable energy, the bills highlighted in this report are some of the most important pieces of legislation my colleagues and I worked on this year and I am proud to have sponsored many of them and voted to approve several others. I look forward to continuing New York’s work to protect and preserve the environment in any way possible.”

In addition to these bills, Addabbo was the prime sponsor of a bill (S.8043) that seeks to prevent sediment that has been contaminated with harmful waste from being used to fill pits in Jamaica Bay, a process known as dredging. That bill, which passed both the Senate and Assembly, is awaiting approval from Governor Cuomo. The Senator also firmly opposed the Port Ambrose Liquefied Natural Gas project, a dangerous proposal to construct a pipeline off the coast of Rockaway that would have put the entire peninsula in danger of pollution and many other harmful effects. Addabbo was pleased last November when Governor Cuomo vetoed the project, and the Senator has since continued his support for an offshore wind farm off the coast of the Rockaway Peninsula that seeks to supply renewable energy to New York City and Long Island while significantly reducing the amount of harmful emissions released into the atmosphere.

Addabbo also frequently sponsors numerous events throughout his district each year to promote a healthy environmental lifestyle, including multiple recycling events that allow residents to safely discard of electronics, paper and other household items as well as rain barrel giveaways that help homeowners cut back on the use of fresh water for everyday tasks such as watering plants or washing a car.