Stringer Calls on City to Address Cruise Ship Pollution
Yesterday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer (D) sent a letter to James Pratchett, president of the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), urging him to conceive a plan to limit cruise ship emissions.
“While cruise ships bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to New York City’s ports each year, these same ships are also responsible for spewing toxic, asthma-inducing exhaust fumes into neighborhoods that are already burdened with some of the city’s poorest air quality,” said Stringer. “I stand with New Yorkers who live in Hell’s Kitchen and Red Hook who have had to suffer the impact of this suffocating, poisonous pollution for too long. The infrastructure we build today directly affects our climate goals for the future, and we need a plan to mitigate the excessive and easily reducible cruise ship pollution at both the Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals. For the sake of our city, our planet, and our neighborhoods, this has to change.”
Read the full letter here.
Rivera to Host “Greening Your HDFC” Workshop
Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) and the Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) will be hosting an event this Thursday to provide eco-friendly tips to tenants of HDFC-funded housing.
Attendees will learn about simple fixes to make their living spaces more comfortable and energy efficient. The workshop will also provide information on new green legislation, such as the Climate Mobilization Act.
The event will take place on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at GOLES, 173 Ave. B.
Levine: Coronavirus Could Be a “Major Test” for All New Yorkers
Council Member Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) released a series of tweets yesterday urging the City to prepare for the possibility of a coronavirus outbreak.
As of now, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in New York City. However, across the globe, the virus remains an ever-increasing threat. To date, it has reached 29 different countries, infected more than 70,000 patients and caused 2,600 fatalities.
“There have so far been zero confirmed cases of coronavirus in NYC,” said Levine. “But this outbreak is raging in dozens of countries. And we have to acknowledge: it’s highly probable that there will be cases here. When (if) this happens it’s critical that NYers respond rationally, based on science. Without prejudice against any ethnic group in this city. With confidence that we have a world class public health system.
This will be a major test for us as New Yorkers. It will not be easy to keep the panic and prejudice at bay. But I know we as a City have what it takes to meet this challenge.”
Johnson to Discuss Future of BQE
Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) will be joining fellow Council Members today for a press conference on the “Future of the BQE” report.
The report is a detailed look at the possibilities for replacing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Last year, Johnson selected Arup, an engineering firm, to provide the Council with independent expertise on a potential replacement project. After the press conference, Arup will be presenting its findings to the City Council during an oversight hearing.
The press conference will take place today at 9 a.m. at City Hall Park.
