STATEN ISLAND (N.Y.) Wednesday’s draft criteria released by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), aimed at determining which communities in the state are most at risk of environmental degradation and most historically least protected.
The climate benefits provided by the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (also known as the Climate Act) would almost double if the proposed criteria and an interactive mapping were used.
Numerous Staten Island neighborhoods, mostly on the North Shore of the Island, currently fall under the criteria to be among the most fragile.
New York’s Climate Act and our efforts for a cleaner, more sustainable future are central to climate justice, said Basil Seggos (DEC Commissioner) and Climate Action Council Cochair. This represents a significant milestone for New York’s efforts towards climate justice. I encourage all New Yorkers and residents to review these draft documents, and to continue supporting this ongoing work.
New York is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and by at least 85% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. The Climate Action Council was created to release the draft criteria and create a plan to achieve those targets.
The council graded the census tracts on the basis of environmental and climate change burdens and risk, population characteristics, and health vulnerability.
According to the DEC, 35% of New York’s total 4,918 census tracts are considered geographically disadvantaged communities. This is based on 45 different criteria.
The state now wants the public to Weigh-in on the criteria. The public comment period will run until July 7th and will include six public hearings, which will provide input on the draft proposition, interactive map, and preliminary list of disadvantaged areas.
Doreen Harris, New York State Energy Research Development Authority President, CEO, and Climate Action Council Cochair, said that along with the draft criteria for disadvantaged community, I encourage the public review the Climate Action Councils draft scopeing plan and participate the public hearings to shape our bold climate agenda.
Harris said that these efforts include climate justice as a core component to provide opportunities and improved quality life for under-resourced areas in New York State.
The draft criteria includes neighborhoods located mostly on Staten Islands North Shore. These include Mariners Harbor and Graniteville, Elm Park and Port Richmond.
Among the other boroughs on the state’s current list are sections of Grasmere (Midland Beach), Oakwood, and a sliver at Castleton Corners.
Click here to view the interactive map.
Advance/SILive.com previously highlighted stark differences between the North and South shores. These include disproportionate tree cover and harmful ozone pollution, as well as higher asthma rates in areas above the Staten Island Expressway.
Identifying the most vulnerable communities is the first step towards advancing the climate justice agenda as outlined in the CLCPA (Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act). Eddie Bautista, executive Director of the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and member to the Climate Justice Working Group, stated that this is Eddie Bautista’s first step.
These criteria were developed through a complex process that included significant consideration of how communities are currently affected by environmental burdens and income disparities. However it is important that we note that this is just a starting point and that we should expect that they will evolve as we collect more data and gain better insight into how frontline communities across the state are overwhelmed.
According to the DEC, the criteria and methods used to identify disadvantaged communities will be reviewed annually to ensure that the state is correctly targeting its investments.
New Yorkers are encouraged to submit comments via the online public comment form, via email at [email protected], and via U.S. Mail to Attention: Draft DAC Comments, NYS DEC, Attn. Office of Environmental Justice, 625 Broadway 14th Floor, Albany (N.Y.) 12233.
The DEC announced that public hearing dates will soon be made public.
