August has been unusually busy on the EJ front - from the long-awaited kick-off for the environmental review of congestion pricing, to the wrap-up of our CAMP-EJ Program. Read on, as we gear up for an eventful September.
MTA Congestion Pricing Environmental Assessment Hearing
In early August, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) released the Central Business District Tolling Program, or congestion pricing, Environmental Assessment. The program is expected to generate $1 billion in annual revenue to be invested in NYC’s public transit system. From the Environmental Assessment, it is projected that truck traffic and emissions will increase on some roadways in the Bronx. On Wednesday, August 31, our Transportation Planner, Kevin Garcia, testifiedto highlight that while NYC-EJA has long championed the congestion pricing plan, Governor Hochul and the MTA must aim to implement additional mitigation measures to reach a “net positive” outcome to combat any traffic and emission increases in the Bronx and other environmental justice communities. While the public hearings have finished, the MTA and other program sponsors are still seeking public comments until Friday, September 09.
Community Air Mapping Project for Environmental Justice!
Earlier this summer, we introduced our new iteration of CAMP-EJ (Community Air Mapping Project for Environmental Justice), and we are pleased to say that our heat monitoring campaign and our primary mobile air monitoring phase are now complete. A huge thank you to all of the youth leaders that worked with our members at El Puente, UPROSE, The Point CDC, Nos Quedamos,and GOLES to make this monitoring effort possible and so successful! We look forward to sharing more as the project continues!
Volunteers from El Puente and scene of polluting trucks during air monitoring.
NYS Extreme Heat Interim Recommendations
Earlier this summer, DEC and NYSERDA released the NYS Extreme Heat Action Plan Interim Recommendations Report. This report included feedback, priorities, and expertise from a number of stakeholders, including NYC-EJA. We are pleased to see the recommendations outlined in this report and look forward to continuing to provide insights and expertise on this project as it develops into the final NYS extreme heat action/adaptation plan. Environmental Justice communities are some of the most overburdened when it comes to excess and extreme heat and the associated negative impacts, so this is of critical importance to the health and well-being of our communities.
Be sure to check for more exciting news from NYC-EJA about our ongoing work, on our website and in future newsletters! And if you like what you read, please consider making a tax-exempt donation to support our work.
