Colton’s Pressure Gets EPA On Transfer Station
Southwest Brooklyn Assemblyman William Colton and Democratic District Leaders Nancy Tong and Charles Ragusa, together with Council Member Mark Treyger announced yesterday that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have has inspected the garbage transfer station in Gravesend and found numerous potential violations and areas of concern that needed attention.
The EPA potential violations and areas of concern, according to the inspection done by the EPA include:
-Debris and soil in the water at bulkhead area
-Exposed mud on track pad area without the covered gavel
-Failure to include required inspection records in their reports
-Failure to comply with plan of placing silt fencing around the site
–Area where storm water can exit the site not protected by fencing
As of September 18, the Department of Sanitation was given a list of the potential violations and areas of concern that needed attention and was given 30 days to respond.
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The inspection came after the aforementioned lawmakers, along with Congressman Dan Donovan, wrote the EPA calling on the agency to investigate violations at the work site and to consider it for a superfund cleanup.
“In this David and Goliath fight, we must endure to make sure the destructive garbage station does not become a monstrosity in all of Southern Brooklyn,” said Colton.
Cornegy Fundraiser On Sunday
Bedford-Stuyvesant City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. has a fundraiser slated for Sunday. Below is the flier.
To purchase your ticket online and get more info, please visit:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/councilman-rob-cornegys-milestone-birthday-party-tickets-18375613956
Williams Committee Hears Proposed Bicycle Bills
Flatlands City Council Member Jumaane Williams, Chair of the Council’s Housing and Buildings Committee, yesterday, held a hearing to consider three pieces of legislation regarding bicycles in office buildings and elevator violations.
The Committee received testimony from representatives of the Department of Buildings, the Department of Transportation, property owners, bicycling advocates and other interested members of the public. The three bills heard include:
Int. No. 405 would require that office buildings provide foldable bicycle access in passenger elevators. Currently, certain office buildings are required to provide bicycle access only in freight elevators.
Int. No. 695 would require owners of residential buildings to allow tenants or subtenants to use building elevators to transport their bicycles to and from their apartments.
Int. No. 795 would require office buildings to allow bicycles to be brought into the buildings and use freight elevators the same as ordinary freight. Where freight is provided unescorted access to freight elevators, bicycles would be transported in the same way.
Pols Express Solidarity With Israel Over Attacks
The recent violence in Israel that has cost Israeli and Palestinian lives following attacks on Israelis drew the following responses from political leaders:
Gov. Andrew Cuomo: “Earlier today, across Israel, three terrorist attacks injured multiple people and resulted in the death of two more innocents. This is the latest in a senseless spree of terror that has shaken the people of Israel and claimed the lives of numerous civilians in recent weeks – and the violence must stop. I have said many times before that friends stand together in times of crisis, and this remains true today. As we continue to pray for peace, my
thoughts and prayers are with the people of Israel, especially those most affected during this troubling time.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio: “I’m heartbroken by today’s attacks that took the lives of three innocent Israelis and left many others wounded. My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims and their families, and New York City joins Israel in mourning these innocent lives. There is simply no place for violence – and we all must speak out against the loss of any innocent life. We continue to pray for the day in which the Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.”
Congressman Jerrold Nadler: “Today’s call by Palestinian groups for a violent “Day of Rage” and the surge of violent attacks against innocent Israeli civilians over the past 12 days must be roundly and forcefully condemned by the entire international community. There is no justifying these acts of terrorism and murder, nor is it acceptable for the world to remain silent. No civilian should be made to fear being rammed by a car, being stoned as they walk down the street, being shot at as they board a public bus, or being attacked with knives and axes when going to synagogue or waiting on a street corner.
“The stabbing of a 13-year-old Israeli boy while riding his bike in Jerusalem must be condemned with equal outrage as the recent firebombing of a house killing a Palestinian infant in the West Bank. Such violence also undermines any prospect for peace and only serves to bring about more bloodshed all around, making it harder to achieve the two-state solution that both sides say they seek. I call on Palestinian President Abbas and his government to denounce these wanton murders and to do everything within their power to stop this campaign of vicious and deadly attacks.”
Clarke Lobbies Against Delays In Resettling Refugees
Flatbush Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke yesterday urged the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to eliminate unnecessary delays in allowing refugees to resettle in the United States.
In letters to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Clarke proposed expanding the program that allows refugees with relatives residing here to apply directly to the United States Refugee Admissions Program for screening and resettlement, improving the coordination of security checks that sometimes expire before the application process has been completed, and informing families when any family members have been cleared for resettlement.
“Secretary of State Kerry recently announced that the United States will increase the number of refugees allowed to resettle here to 100,000 in 2017. I commend President Obama, Secretary Kerry, and Secretary Johnson for their efforts to address the crisis that now exists, in which there are sixty million refugees around the world and instability in Syria has displaced more than four million people, even as only 1,400 Syrian refugees have been allowed to resettle in the United States,” Clarke wrote in the letter, which was signed by 84 federal lawmakers in the House and Senate.
“For this increase to have the intended effect of actually allowing families to reunite in safety, we must have the capacity to process more applications for refugee status. Ultimately, the community of nations must work to establish stability Syria. In the meantime, we have a responsibility to support the Syrian refugees and the reunification of families. We must continue to provide assistance to the millions of people who are now at risk, as a result of persecution based on their religion, their race or nation of origin, or their political beliefs.”
