Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - DECEMBER 27, 2022

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing and Treatment

27 Statewide Deaths Reported on December 23rd

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19 and outlined basic steps they can take to protect against the spread of viral respiratory infections that become more common in the winter season.

"As we head into the new year, I urge everyone to remain vigilant and continue to use all available tools to keep themselves, their loved ones and their communities safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Stay up to date on vaccine doses, and test before and after gatherings or travel. If you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

Governor Hochul is urging New Yorkers to take common prevention measures — like staying up to date on vaccines and practicing proper hygiene — to protect from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the flu and COVID-19 and reduce the patient burden on local hospitals. The Governor recently updated New Yorkers on the state's winter health preparedness efforts.

Last week, the New York State Department of Health announced new guidance for bivalent COVID-19 booster doses, which are now available for eligible children down to 6 months of age. The updated boosters are the first to be targeted to the original virus strain and recently circulating variants, and are recommended for young New Yorkers and all those eligible.

As flu cases continue to climb across much of the State, the New York State Department of Health recently reminded New Yorkers to take preventive action, including getting a flu shot. A new report shows cases remain very high statewide. The weekly flu report also confirmed a total of five influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the state.

Emergency department visits for patients with flu-like symptoms remain very high. The Department's most recent influenza surveillance report also found 79 lab-confirmed outbreaks in long-term and acute care facilities in the State for the same week.

Governor Hochul previously launched a public awareness campaign featuring New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett speaking directly to New Yorkers about the three viruses now circulating in the state with similar symptoms and the potential to cause serious illness. Produced by the New York State Department of Health, the videos include a short clip and a longer version geared toward parents; and a version aimed specifically at health care providers.

The Governor also asked New Yorkers to get their bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.

In addition, Governor Hochul encourages New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccine as flu season is widespread across New York State. The flu virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are both circulating, so getting vaccinated against both is the best way to stay healthy and to avoid added stress to the health care system.

The State Department of Health is continuing its annual public education campaign, reminding adults and parents to get both flu and COVID-19 shots for themselves and children 6 months and older. Advertisements in both English and Spanish language began running last month.

For information about flu vaccine clinics, contact the local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Cases Per 100k - 11.86
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 25.79
• Test Results Reported - 23,530
• Total Positive - 2,317
• Percent Positive - 9.01%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 8.09%**
• Patient Hospitalization - 3,646 (-73)*
• Patients Newly Admitted - 593*
• Patients in ICU - 369 (3)*
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 166 (+2)*
• Total Discharges - 378,710 (+634)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 27*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 60,177*

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 76,664

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:

Borough	Saturday,   Dec.  24, 2022	Sunday,   Dec.  25, 2022	Monday,   Dec.  26, 2022
Bronx	8.83%	8.94%	9.19%
Kings	5.91%	5.91%	5.88%
New York	7.87%	7.82%	8.13%
Queens	9.66%	9.74%	10.07%
Richmond	8.49%	8.77%	8.42%

PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS' STATEMENT ON MAJOR FLOODING EVENTS IN QUEENS, BROOKLYN

 

"Yet again, Southeast Queens, the Rockaways and surrounding areas have undergone horrible yet entirely foreseeable mass flooding. Sixteen months after Hurricane Ida struck our shores and killed thirteen fellow New Yorkers, our government has not made the changes, improvements, and recoveries necessary to protect and shelter its citizens. 

"These residents don't just need our words of hope; the people deserve real plans, commitments, and genuine change. The city, state, and federal government must accomplish the difficult but vital steps to both prevent and mitigate future disasters. Specifically,

•   Mayor Adams should immediately expedite the capital project process and increase funding to these low lying disaster prone areas. 
•   Governor Hochul must amend the State of Emergency to include a request for direct, seamless, and expeditious federal funding for homeowners in Southeast Queens, the Rockaways and surrounding areas.
•   Our governments must begin today to re-develop our street and sewage infrastructure, and the Army Corps of Engineers should be immediately deployed to expedite the Bay Protection Project and on-the-ground resiliency efforts.
•   As we pivot from fossil fuels towards green energy, we should redirect fossil fuel subsidies to sources that bolster public renewable energy.

"These critical reforms require urgent action. Changes today will help mitigate catastrophe from a future of more frequent severe storms."

Governor Hochul Announces One Billionth New York City Subway Rider of 2022

 

First Time Since 2019 That New York City Subway Ridership Has Surpassed One Billion Riders

Ridership Has Grown by 240 Million From 2021

All MTA Agencies Saw Significant Ridership Growth in 2022

More Than 425 Million OMNY Taps on the Subway in 2022

 Capping a year of robust recovering ridership, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Subway has provided one billion trips in 2022. The billionth customer was identified as Sasha Salazar from the Bronx who entered the 161 St-Yankee Stadium 4 station turnstiles this morning.

"We have been working hard to bring customers back by providing safer, cleaner, and faster service, and hitting one billion riders in 2022 is evidence that our work is paying off," Governor Hochul said. "New Yorkers and tourists alike continue to flock to the subway, proving there is no better way to get around New York City than mass transit."

The milestone marks the first time the New York City Subway has carried one billion customers in a calendar year since 2019. The subway carried 760 million customers in 2021 and 640 million in 2020. Average daily subway ridership is currently hovering at nearly 60 percent of 2019's pre-pandemic levels, when the system carried 1.698 billion riders.

The MTA's OMNY fare-payment system also experienced usage growth in 2022 with more than 425 million taps. This increase in subway rider market share for OMNY follows the introduction of the "Lucky 13" fare-capping program, the rollout of OMNY for the MTA's Reduced-Fare customers, and the continued expansion of OMNY cards in retail locations.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "In 2022, customers have voted with their MetroCard swipes and OMNY taps, and hundreds of millions have returned to the subway. Hitting this milestone, one billion subway riders in 2022, demonstrates again how essential mass transit is to New York City's economy and continued recovery from the pandemic."

The MTA has recorded strong ridership growth in all agencies in 2022. Through October 31, the latest date for which comparable all-agency non-preliminary data is available, subway ridership is up 38.6 percent over similar year-to-date data for 2021, New York City Buses are up 13.4 percent, Metro-North Railroad is up 65.9 percent, the Long Island Rail Road is up 56.9 percent, the Staten Island Railway is up 47.0 percent, Access-A-Ride is up 11.3 percent, and traffic on MTA Bridges and Tunnels is up 7.0 percent.

One Book One Bronx - New Book Clubs at The Bronx Museum and Zambo Aroma

 

THIS JANUARY ONE BOOK, THREE LOCATIONS Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., 232 pgs Each week, One Book One Bronx hosts restorative conversations related to gentrification, social justice, women's empowerment, criminal justice, and racial inequality. The book club reflects the borough's racial, economic, and gender demographics and builds bridges to engagement while (re)sparking a love of literature.  The book club is free and open to the public.  Begin Again is one of the great books on James Baldwin and a powerful reckoning with America's ongoing failure to confront the lies it tells itself about race. Just as in Baldwin's "after times," argues Eddie S. Glaude Jr., when white Americans met the civil rights movement's call for truth and justice with blind rage and the murders of movement leaders, so in our moment were the Obama presidency and the birth of Black Lives Matter answered with the ascendance of Trump and the violent resurgence of white nationalism. REGISTER TODAY • Zambo Aroma, 3848 White Plains Rd at 221 St Thursdays, 7-8:30pm: 1/5*, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, & 2/2 • The Bronx Museum, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th St. Saturday, 12-1:30pm: 1/7*, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, & 2/4 The book discussion will take place in The Bronx Museum galleries as part of the exhibition Swagger and Tenderness: The South Bronx Portraits of John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres. • On Zoom Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, & 1/31 Choose the venue that fits your location and schedule. Free books are available to participants at Zambo Aroma and The Bronx Museum. Book club press release

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Literary Freedom Project 557 Grand Concourse, PMB 143 Bronx, NY 10451 info@literaryfreedom.org www.literaryfreedom.org

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES RECORD NUMBER OF GIFTS GIVEN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON TO VULNERABLE YOUTH THROUGH CITY’S ‘SECRET SNOWFLAKE’ INITIATIVE

 

Initiative Engaged Highest Number of Corporate and Public Sector Volunteers in History

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced today that NYC Service has helped facilitate the donation of more than 5,500 individualized gifts given to vulnerable youth in transitional housing, foster care, shelters, family justice centers, and Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers this holiday season through the Secret Snowflake in-kind donation initiative — serving the highest number of children in the program’s decades-long history. The program also engaged the most private sector businesses to date, with 32 businesses engaging a record number of 3,500 employees as volunteers.

“Serving those in need is part of what it means to be a New Yorker, and during the cold winter and holiday season, our administration worked together with the private sector to send a warm welcome to our newest New Yorkers and spread joy to youth in need,” said Mayor Adams. “I share my gratitude to the thousands of employees from the private and public sectors who answered Secret Snowflake holiday wishes of 5,500 youth in transitional housing, shelters, and humanitarian relief centers, and to the corporate partners that mobilized their workforce in the spirit of service.”

“Secret Snowflake exemplifies how New Yorkers come together to support and lend holiday cheer to others in the toughest of times,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright. “Thank you to the generous, record number of volunteers for their acts of service. Together with the business sector, diplomatic community, and dedicated city agency staff, we delivered joy and comfort to thousands of children and their families this holiday season.”

"The holiday season is a time to celebrate, reflect, and practice gratitude, but it can also be a very challenging time for New Yorkers most in need. Secret Snowflake's mission to bring joy and holiday spirit to some of our city's most vulnerable populations through service and engagement exemplifies what NYC Service does year-round for our city," said New York City Chief Engagement Officer Betsy MacLean. “I am thrilled that NYC Service, their corporate partners, and city staff reached over 5,500 young people and made their holiday season merrier this year.”

“Part of being a New Yorker is showing up for one another in times of need. This continues to be a year like no other, and these acts of service from our volunteers will brighten 5,500 young peoples’ holiday, including welcoming our city’s recent children and families seeking asylum,” said New York City Chief Service Officer Laura Rog. “Thank you to the private businesses and city staff for believing in the power of service and coming together once again for our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers.” 

NYC Service has scaled Secret Snowflake to its widest reach through a cross-sector collaboration between city agencies serving youth, private-sector businesses, the diplomatic community, and mayoral staff. This year’s program benefitted more than 5,500 youth, ages 0-18 years old, served by seven different city agencies, including the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, the New York City Department of Homeless Services, the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Department for the Aging, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence, the New York City Human Resources Administration, and NYC Health + Hospitals. NYC Service coordinated the intake of 5,547 letters from youth — a 48 percent increase compared to the previous year. Youth letter requests vary based on interest and typically include necessities, such as clothing, shoes, or a warm coat, as well as toys, books, and other game-based activities.

Mobilizing the private sector in service is key to scaling the in-kind program’s reach. This year, 32 businesses — from large scale corporations to small business — united in service to meet the program’s largest volume of letter requests to date. Each business partner engaged between three and 900 employees to answer letters with a “wish” from youth between the ages of one month and 18 years old. Additionally, several businesses contributed bulk donations of books and toys.

The Mayor’s Office for International Affairs engaged the diplomatic and consular community in supporting more than 510 youth across the five boroughs.

“It is incredibly heartening to see Secret Snowflake expand and grow over the years while truly exemplifying the holiday spirit and unparalleled compassion of New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “This holiday season the city reached a record number of young New Yorkers in need through this initiative, and we are very grateful to NYC Service, our partner agencies, and private partners for making this possible. As this exceptional effort continues to bring joy to thousands of New Yorkers in need, we are also reminded of the vital role our communities and private partners play in supporting our vulnerable neighbors during the holidays and beyond.”

 

“We are thrilled that this year’s Secret Snowflake initiative delivered a record number of holiday gifts to children and teens across New York City,” said New York City Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “On behalf of the Administration for Children’s Services, I want to thank Mayor Adams, NYC Service, and, of course, all of the kind-hearted New Yorkers who helped make the holiday season extra special for 5,500 young people.”

 

“The holiday season can be difficult for many families, and I am so touched by the immense generosity of our partners who have made the dreams of so many of our students come true,” said New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks. “The Secret Snowflake initiative embodies the New York spirit of community and has certainly brightened the season for our families.”

“ENDGBV has participated in NYC Service’s Secret Snowflake program for over 15 years,” said New York City Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) Commissioner Cecile Noel. “Our Bronx Family Justice Center Operations Manager Sandra M. Mejia directed this year’s efforts, which involved answering over 300 Secret Snowflake letters and presenting toys to 336 children across our network of borough-based Family Justice Centers. We are grateful for this wonderful program and look forward to it every year knowing how much joy and happiness it brings to survivors and their children during this season of giving.” 

“The Department of Homeless Services looks forward to the Secret Snowflake initiative every year and is grateful to be a partner,” said New York City Department of Homeless Services Administrator Joslyn Carter. “This public and private partnership is rooted in care and compassion for our city’s most vulnerable youth. Reaching more families than ever before, Secret Snowflake is providing thousands of youth happiness and joy during this holiday season.”

First of Two Convicted at Trial in Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison

 

 A Michigan man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to kidnap the Governor of Michigan and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property.

Adam Fox, 39, of Wyoming, Michigan, and co-conspirator Barry Croft Jr., 47, of Bear, Delaware, were convicted by a federal jury in August 2022 during an 11-day retrial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fox and Croft intended to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer from her vacation cottage near Elk Rapids, Michigan, and use the destructive devices to facilitate their plot by harming and hindering the governor’s security detail and any responding law enforcement officers. They specifically explored placing a bomb under an interstate overpass near a pedestrian boardwalk. Croft was also convicted of possessing an improvised explosive device, which was a commercial firework refashioned with shrapnel to serve as a hand-grenade. A jury in an earlier trial was unable to reach a verdict.

Fox faced up to life in prison for his convictions. The Hon. Robert J. Jonker, District Judge, determined the ultimate sentence after evaluating the applicable federal Sentencing Guidelines, and considering the statutory sentencing factors, including the nature and circumstances of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; the seriousness of the offense; and the need to promote respect for the law, to provide just punishment, and protect the public from future crimes of the defendant.

“Mr. Fox, and his confederate Mr. Croft, were convicted by a jury of masterminding a plot to kidnap the Governor of Michigan and to use weapons of mass destruction against responding law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s sentence reflects the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to protecting our elected officials, law enforcement officers, and dedicated public servants from criminal threats and violence — and to holding the perpetrators of such acts fully accountable under the law.”

“Today, Mr. Fox learned his fate. For his role in the plot to kidnap the Governor and trigger further violence, he will serve a long term in prison,” said Former U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge for the Western District of Michigan, appointed to oversee the trial. “Responding to domestic terrorism has been a priority for the Department of Justice since its founding. Rest assured: we will spare no effort to disrupt plots like these and hold those responsible accountable to the law.”

Fox is the third to be sentenced of four conspirators convicted in the plot. Croft is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow.

Co-defendant Ty Garbin, 27, of Hartland, Michigan, pleaded guilty in January 2021 and initially received a sentence of 75 months, or over six years, in prison. The district court later reduced the sentence to a term of 30 months, or two and a half years in prison, after fully considering his cooperation at both trials. Kaleb Franks, 28, of Waterford, Michigan, received a term of four years in prison after pleading guilty and testifying at both trials. Co-defendants Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted at the first trial in April 2022.

The FBI’s Detroit Field Office investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, including Michigan State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

 

CELEBRATING  THE HOLIDAYS Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr., and Assembly Member Elect John Zaccaro, Jr., welcomes the community to their Annual Holiday Party.  Happy Holidays!

REIMAGINING THE CROSS BRONX EXPRESSWAY Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr. joins NYC Mayor Eric Adams and his colleagues in government to announce a landmark study to re-imagine the Cross Bronx Expressway. It’s time that we undo the harmful effects of noise, pollution, and poor health outcomes in our community.

LIGHTING UP OUR BALL FIELDS  Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr., met with New York City Parks Department to discuss logistics for ballfield lighting that he funded for baseball fields in Hunts Point and Longwood. Thank you to NYC Parks First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa for meeting with us to discuss the rehab for Hunts Point  Recreation Center

CHRISTMAS WITH HISPANIC MINISTERS Council Member Rafael Salamanca, Jr., joined the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization led by President Rev. Ruben Diaz, Sr. for their annual Holiday breakfast in The Bronx. Always great to talk about the work happening in government.

Visit our District Office at:  1070 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York 10459 (718) 402-6130 salamanca@council.nyc.gov

DEC ANNOUNCES AWARDS TO NINE ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY AIR MONITORING CAPACITY-BUILDING PROGRAMS

 

Nearly $900,000 Awarded to Community-Based Organizations Across New York State

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced $898,365 in Environmental Justice Community Air Monitoring Capacity Building grants to help build heathier communities, particularly in areas with a disproportionate air pollution burden. The grants support projects proposed by nine community-based organizations to develop new or strengthen existing air monitoring programs focused on reducing exposure to harmful emissions and improving public health in disadvantaged communities. 

“These capacity building grants will bolster the ongoing work of the State’s Community Air Monitoring Initiative, underway now in 10 disadvantaged communities across New York State,” said Commissioner Seggos. “DEC will continue to address climate change under our nation-leading Climate Act by providing support and resources for community-led initiatives to develop solutions, working hand-in-hand with our partners in communities to reduce pollution and improve quality of life for New Yorkers.”

This grant opportunity, first announced by Governor Kathy Hochul in July, is supported by the State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) with resources designated to Environmental Justice communities. Funding for eligible organizations in the identified communities of Buffalo/Tonawanda/Niagara Falls, Capital Region (Albany/Rensselaer/Cohoes/Watervliet), Bronx, Manhattan, Rochester, Syracuse, the Mount Vernon/Yonkers area, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Hempstead area were eligible for grants from $50,000 to $100,000 to be used for, but not limited to, developing or strengthening existing programs focused on reducing exposure and improving public health in communities most impacted by air pollution, or supporting community engagement in the State's air monitoring program. Grants were awarded to the following projects:

Capital District

Media Alliance, Inc., $100,000 for “Capital Region Air Justice Lab”

Air Justice Lab creates access and education to a dispersed network of PurpleAir sensors in the Capital District Study Area, building capacity for a public data calibrated network and community-wide competency and education through air testing.

Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, $100,000 for “Atmojustice: Youth-Engaged Air Quality Monitoring in Environmental Justice Communities”

Atmojustice will deploy air quality monitors in the South End of Albany and collect and report data back to local residents. Radix's Ecojustice Associates youth employment program will participate in all aspects of the program.

Hudson Valley

Groundwork Hudson Valley, $100,000 for “SW Yonkers Air Quality (AQ) Education Campaign and Planning Project”

The project will expand efforts to inform this Environmental Justice area about the critical relationship between climate change, air pollutants, and individual and community health risks and create a community-based air quality monitoring plan.

New York City Metro

Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, $100,000 for “Breathe North Brooklyn”

Breathe North Brooklyn will expand Neighbors’ capacity to measure air quality in North Brooklyn, integrate air quality monitoring efforts undertaken by organizations and community members, and expand its existing air quality awareness efforts.

Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Inc., $100,000 for “Climate Justice and Air Quality Capacity Building and Community Education Project”

The project will build organizations’ air monitoring capacity and develop and deliver a bilingual (English-Spanish) curriculum to educate and develop local resident leaders on air quality issues in partnership with an affiliate of the organization.

West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. fiscal sponsor for South Bronx Unite, $100,000 for “South Bronx Unite Seeking Breathable Air in Asthma Alley: Data Mapping and Community Education”

South Bronx Unite will install air monitors at 40 strategic locations at breathing level to collect ongoing air quality data in Mott Haven - Port Morris, inviting public participation and building knowledge and solutions for a breathable community.

Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, Inc. (YPMJ), $100,000 for “YMPJ Cross Bronx Expressway Air Quality Monitoring”

YMPJ will partner with four other South Bronx community-based organizations to train residents to collect particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) air quality data in the vicinity of the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Western New York

BRRAlliance, Inc., $99,200 for “Black Rock and Riverside Citizen Scientist Education and Air Quality Monitoring for the Home and Community”

This project will focus on educating, training, and equipping residents in designated disadvantaged community areas on how to monitor the quality of the air in their homes, how they can improve that quality, and why it is important to do so to improve their health.

Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, $99,165 for “Breathing Free: A People's Project for Clean Air”

Clean Air Coalition of Western New York will work with the residents of Buffalo and Tonawanda in disadvantaged community areas and be technical advisors to educate the community about air quality and build a resident-controlled air monitoring program.

In July, Governor Hochul announced the launch of the historic statewide air quality and greenhouse gas mobile monitoring initiative that is deploying in 10 disadvantaged communities across the State, home to approximately five million New Yorkers—25 percent of the State's population—in areas overburdened by environmental pollution. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, the effort to map hyperlocal air pollution and greenhouse gases statewide at the community level is the largest ever undertaken by New York State. The initiative is bolstered by an estimated $3 million in State grant funding - $1 million for Community Air Monitoring Capacity Building Grants, and an additional $2 million in new funding supporting community-led air monitoring to complement the State's efforts.

The air monitoring program will identify hyperlocal information about air quality impacts in these overburdened areas and help the State identify mitigation activities. This first-ever statewide mobile monitoring complements DEC’s existing efforts to measure levels of outdoor air pollution at more than 50 sites across the State using continuous and/or manual instrumentation. These efforts are part of the State’s actions under the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection, with the Climate Action Council Scoping Plan recently approved and adopted, to achieve the required climate targets, including 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from 1990 levels. For more information about the initiative, go to https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/125320.html.

New York State's Nation-Leading Climate Plan 

New York State's nation-leading climate agenda is the most aggressive climate and clean energy initiative in the nation, calling for an orderly and just transition to clean energy that creates jobs and continues fostering a green economy as New York State recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enshrined into law through the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York is on a path to achieve its mandated goal of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040, including 70 percent renewable energy generation by 2030, and to reach economy wide carbon neutrality. It builds on New York's unprecedented investments to ramp-up clean energy including over $35 billion in 120 large-scale renewable and transmission projects across the state, $6.8 billion to reduce buildings emissions, $1.8 billion to scale up solar, more than $1 billion for clean transportation initiatives, and over $1.6 billion in NY Green Bank commitments. Combined, these investments are supporting more than 165,000 jobs in New York’s clean energy sector in 2021, a 2,100 percent growth in the distributed solar sector since 2011 and a commitment to develop 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2035. Under the Climate Act, New York will build on this progress and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, while ensuring that at least 35 percent with a goal of 40 percent of the benefits of clean energy investments are directed to disadvantaged communities, and advance progress towards the state's 2025 energy efficiency target of reducing on-site energy consumption by 185 trillion BTUs of end-use energy savings.