Can you summarize all your environmental positions in two-minute sound bites
That’s what the four Democratic candidates seeking to replace U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice were asked to do last week, taking the stage at Hofstra University’s Breslin Hall to talk about the planet just in time for Earth Day.
Keith Corbett, Malverne village mayor, spent his time on what were called big projects such as tapping into Long Island’s large untouched Aquifer. He also focused on offshore wind farms.
“We need to educate and train the next generation of workers,” Corbett told Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, who moderated the event.
Claiming that shore strengthening would save money in the long run, it would still “cost $800 to $900 million to build that infrastructure, “ Cobett said “It’s worth building that infrastructure protecting the rest of the property when it’s going to be $800 billion if a Superstorm Sandy were to come through again.”
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Joining Corbett on the stage were Carrié Solages, Laura Gillen and Kevin Shakil-Mendez.
When it comes to the Long Island State Park system, Corbett says “there is already money set aside in the Department of Transportation budget” for changes like electric buses, trains and charging stations — all of which could offer a greener solution.
Solages, the county legislator who represents the greater Elmont and Valley Stream areas, wants to attack the waste crisis, bringing it to a “sustainable zero” by 2030. He’d accomplish it by offering incentives to companies big and small to invest in limited waste, recycling and sustainable practices.
“The federal government cannot require our state government to do anything,” Solages said, “but one thing the federal government can do is provide incentives for our state government and village governments to get stuff done. We know local governments will take advantage (to) limit waste, promote more compost programs, (and) more usage of recyclables.”
Gillen told the group environmental issues have been a “priority for her administration” when she was a Town of Hempstead supervisor. Speaking heavily on infrastructure, Gillen’s plan is to move away from fossil fuels by strengthening the electrical grid. She also wants to reduce our dependence on cars and make it more walkable.
Gillen stated that no one should talk about the race for this congressional seat.
“If you’re going to set up a regulatory system where you’re going to monitor air quality- and monitor water quality and make sure that the standards are applied in all communities, there has to be an enforcement mechanism,” she said.
Shakil-Mendez, a 29-year-old political newcomer from Westbury, said it was last year’s Jamaica Ash & Rubbish Removal Co., fire in his town that spurred him to run for Congress. After the six-alarm fire, Shakil-Mendez went door to door handing out KN95 Masks to his neighbors to protect them from the smoke and fumes of the smoldering debris.
”When I went on-site, I could still smell the smoke and the fumes going into my lungs,” he said. “When you talk environmental justice, nothing was done for this community.”
Shakil-Mendez did not give any details, but said he would consult scientists and other experts to help create bills. He also wants to look closely at what Europe is doing when it comes to environmentalism, and duplicate that on Long Island — like placing small wind turbines on the sides of main roads, harnessing energy from traffic as it passes by.
The winner of this primary is expected to face Town of Hempstead councilman and Republican Anthony D’Esposito in November.
