Hi Anna, Do you have any ideas who in the legislature might vote against a bag ban? and if so, and if you can tell me, do you have any guesses about what their reasoning might be? (economic? libertarian/anti-regulation)?
Anne Klingensmith On Wed, Mar 7, 2018 at 12:45 PM, Anna Kelles <annakel...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi All, > > As a quick followup. The resolution in opposition to the incinerator > proposal passed unanimously and the resolution rejecting the incorporation > of trucked LNG and CNG to any proposal in response to NYSEG's RFP for gas > pipeline alternatives passed 12 to 1. The plastic bag resolution was sent > back to committee to update and return after it is updated by the PDEQ > committee that meets at 3pm March 26th in the legislative chambers. > > Happy Wednesday, > Anna > > On Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 1:29 PM, Anna Kelles <annakel...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> As some of you may know I have been appointed this year as the chair of >> the Planning Development and Environmental Quality (PDEQ) committee. Last >> Monday three resolutions were voted out of the PDEQ committee that will be >> discussed and in most cases voted on tonight by the full legislature at our >> bimonthly meeting from starting at 5:30pm (the meeting starts with >> privilege of the public to speak!) at 121 E. Court St. in the Legislative >> Chambers on the second floor. >> >> The first is a resolution in opposition to the proposed large scale >> incinerator in Romulus, Seneca County that is just North of the town of >> Ulysses. I created an submitted this updated resolution from a template >> created by members of Gas Free Seneca. I'm happy to answer any questions >> anyone has but in a nutshell the garbage would be shipped by hundreds of >> trucks a day from downstate, burned creating significant air pollution very >> near an elementary school and two correctional facilities as well as nearby >> towns and wineries, created about 52 truckloads of toxic ash daily that >> would need to be landfilled locally, and would withdraw 445,000 gallons >> daily from Seneca Lake. >> >> A resolution urging the state to pass a plastic bag ban with an >> additional 5 cent fee of paper bags passed. However, breaking news is that >> a few days before the committee vote a bill in the senate and an equivalent >> bill in the assembly were introduced that are more comprehensive than our >> resolution (here is a link to the senate bill: >> http://legislation.nysenate.gov/pdf/bills/2017/S7760). These bills, if >> approved, would ban both plastic and paper (paper bag production and >> transport have an equal to or even greater carbon footprint than plastic). >> As a result I will be sending our resolution back to committee tonight to >> align more closely with the proposed state bills. The next PDEQ meeting >> will be March 26th at 3pm in the legislative chambers. >> >> Lastly, recently NYSEG put out an request for proposals (RFP) as a result >> of long talks local officials and experts have had with the state Public >> Service Commission, requesting proposals in a designated area in and around >> south Lansing (the Cornell business park area) for alternative energy >> development and upgrades. The intention of the RFP is to reduce demand on >> the existing natural gas infrastructure and to promote future development >> with minimal natural gas needs. However, the current RFP says that they >> will accept a proposal that can include the trucking in of compressed >> natural gas (CNG) and liquified Natural Gas (LNG), if it is acceptable to >> the community. The resolution we will be voting on tonight states that the >> inclusion of trucked in CNG and LNG is not an acceptable solution to reduce >> our dependence on the piped natural gas infrastructure, which would in no >> way help us reach our our Tompkins County stated goal to decrease use of >> natural gas to achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction. >> >> Below is the official press release that followed the PDEQ meeting last >> week. >> >> Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. >> >> In good health, >> Anna >> >> >> *Committee Recommends Support of Statewide Plastic Bag Ban* >> >> >> >> The Legislature’s Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality >> Committee, which back in 2013 considered a proposal from the Environmental >> Management Council (EMC)for a Local Law banning single-use plastic retail >> bags, today considered—and recommended to the Legislature—a new proposal on >> the issue from the EMC, one urging a statewide ban on such plastic retail >> bags. >> >> >> >> Following the EMC’s recent adoption of a measure supporting such a >> statewide ban, the Planning committee, in a unanimous 5-0 vote, joined in >> recommending that the Legislature express its strong support of a plastic >> retail bag ban, which would also include a fee on recyclable paper bags, >> and urging the Governor to propose and the State Legislature to adopt such >> legislation as part of the State’s Fiscal 2019 budget. >> >> >> >> At the time that a Local Law was extensively discussed five years ago, >> County Recycling and Materials Management Director Barbara Eckstrom had >> advised that the issue be pursued at the State level, instead of through a >> Local Law. >> >> >> >> Speaking to the committee today, EMC Chair Brian Eden said that, just as >> when recycling was introduced years ago, achieving such a ban on the >> environmentally damaging plastic bags is “eminently do-able” and can be >> achieved, and accepted by the public, over time. Committee Chair Anna >> Kelles reflected that it’s realistic to proactively reduce our reliance on >> plastic. >> >> >> >> The Committee, with its unanimous support, also forwarded two other >> resolutions for consideration by the full Legislature, to take stands on >> two other environmental issues—one voicing formal opposition to the >> proposed garbage incinerator in the Seneca County Town of Romulus; the >> other opposing the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquified Natural >> Gas (LNG) in response to the New York State Electric and Gas “non-pipe >> alternative” Request for Proposals to address natural gas demand in the >> Lansing area. Commissioner of Planning and Sustainability Katie Borgella >> told the committee it is clear that NYSEG will be looking to the local >> community for its input on those elements, mentioned as potential options >> in the RFP, and that actions such as this would try to put some boundaries >> on what the community would support. >> >> >> >> *Contact: Anna Kelles, Chair, Planning, Development, and Environmental >> Quality Committee, 342-2036* >> >> >> >> *- END -* >> >> >> >> >> -- >> *Anna Kelles* >> Vice Chair - Tompkins County Legislature >> District 2 >> akel...@tompkins-co.org >> www.annakelles.com >> > > > > -- > *Anna Kelles* > Vice Chair - Tompkins County Legislature > District 2 > akel...@tompkins-co.org > www.annakelles.com > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ If you have questions about this list please contact the list manager, Tom Shelley, at t...@cornell.edu.
