News from Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers

June 19, 2014

I want to thank Assemblyman Goldfeder and State Senator Joe Addabbo for their efforts in passing Assembly bill A.2074 and Senate Bill S.3392. This critical legislation will close the current loophole that exists that would have allowed the city to dump contaminated dredge material into the waters of Jamaica Bay.

 
The "filling in of the Borrow Pits" of Jamaica Bay has been a battle that we have been fighting against for decades and it has recently emerged again as  NYC EDC ( Economic Development Corporation ) is actively working to open portions of the NY Harbor that have not been used in years and which require dredging. If there was any question as to the legitimacy of this threat one had to look no further than the meeting held two weeks ago in Senator Addabbo's office to discuss this. 

The presence of 10 representatives from the Mayor's office , including the head of EDC's marine division, who stated their opposition to this legislation, confirmed that this is a serious threat and one that will hopefully be averted through this state legislation. 

The Bill has passed the state assembly and the state senate and we are hoping that the Governor will sign. If you are concerned about this threat please call the Governor at 518-474-8390 and tell his office that you want him to protect Jamaica Bay and sign bills A.2074 and S.3392

Dan mundy
Jamaica bay Ecowatchers