WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz

Kudos to Our Leader Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins! 

You should know that after many years of ignoring my proposals to protect New York State’s senior citizens, Governor Andrew Cuomo has finally seen the light. 

You should already know that because of the alliance between a group of breakaway Democrats, led by Senator Jeff Klein to form the Independent Democratic Conference and keep the Republicans in power, senior citizens have been suffering. 

  

It is important for you to know that for years, my proposals as a Democrat to protect and support senior citizens have been ignored.  The partnership between the Independent Democratic Conference and the Republicans has kept projects for senior citizens that I proposed, on hold. 

Now, Governor Andrew Cuomo has taken my proposals to protect and help senior citizens and has announced them as his own   These are the very same proposals that the Senate Majority  has refused for years to support. 

In her Statement referring to how Governor Cuomo mirrored Senate Democratic efforts, our Leader Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins wrote: 

“Another day and another set of proposals by the governor that mirrors initiatives long supported by Senate Democrats. 

The increased availability for electric vehicle charging stations proposal mirrors efforts pushed by Senator Parker. The wage theft proposal is similar to a bill advanced by Senator Peralta and the protecting seniors proposals are similar to bills created by our Aging Committee Ranker Senator Diaz. 

If all Democrats had united and given us our rightful majority these proposals would pass the Senate,” she said, referring to the Independent Democratic Conference, which caucuses with Senate Republicans. 

Here are just a few examples of how my colleagues and I in the Senate Democrats have already advanced legislation which mirrors what Governor Cuomo is calling for in his State of the State presentations:  … The Governor’s proposals to protect our seniors from financial abuse and homelessness that are similar to bills created by Senator Ruben Diaz, who has led this fight as the Ranking Member of the Senate’s Committee on Aging.” 

Bills protecting seniors from financial abuse and homelessness include: 

 S.262B – Creates a financial exploitation prevention program to aid seniors from being financially exploited (Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.) 

 S.115 – Creates the senior housing task force (Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.) 

 S.145 – Creates a senior housing partnership/public authority (Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.) 

 S.274 – Creates the senior tenant advocacy bureau (Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.) 

I was delighted to read that Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ Statement that was covered on January 9, 2016 in Crain’s, the Legislative Gazette, and other publications. 

While I am relieved that services may finally be provided for our senior citizens, I cannot accept any excuse to prevent or delay senior citizens from receiving any and all of the assistance they need and deserve. 

Kudos to Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins for giving credit where credit is due! 

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It is nice to see that State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is on the Democratic side today.

It must mean that Senator Diaz Sr. is running in a Democratic primary this year for City Council.

It is great to see that Senator Jeff Klein and the IDC have learned from the mistakes of the 'Four Amigos' (of which Senator Diaz Sr. was a part of) when you cross the isle, to work for the people and not yourself. 

Could it be those bells ringing on the Ice Cream trucks that Senator Diaz Sr. uses for his campaigns that have him thinking he is a Democrat, and sponsoring Democratic legislation. 

Wasn't it the New York State Republican Leader Ed Cox who was with Senator Diaz Sr. and Councilman Rafael Salamanca at his toy giveaway at the start of this new year?

Also wasn't it Senator Diaz Sr. who stood with Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino on East 149th Street as Senator Diaz endorsed Republican Astorino for Governor, and not Democrat Andrew Cuomo?

And wasn't it Senator Diaz Sr. who met with Republican Ted Cruz during the Republican Presidential primary?

Governor Cuomo must have known that.

Senator Diaz Sr. is a perfect example of why term limits is needed in the state legislature.

At least today we know Senator Diaz is on the Democratic side, or is he? Senator Diaz Sr. should do his job in Albany, and not start campaigning for the 18th City Council seat.

That is What You Should Know.

Operator Of Unlawful Bitcoin Exchange Pleads Guilty In Multimillion-Dollar Money Laundering And Fraud Scheme

Three Guilty Pleas to Date in Bitcoin and Bribery Scheme

   Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY R. MURGIO pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan to charges associated with operating Coin.mx, an internet-based Bitcoin exchange, through which MURGIO processed more than $10 million in illegal Bitcoin transactions. MURGIO also pled guilty to conspiring to obstruct an examination of the Helping Other People Excel Federal Credit Union (“HOPE FCU”) by the National Credit Union Administration (“NCUA”) in furtherance of the illegal Coin.mx scheme. To date, three individuals involved in the Coin.mx schemes have pled guilty. MURGIO is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nathan on June 16, 2017.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Anthony Murgio took a new age approach to an age-old crime of fraud. As he admitted in his guilty plea today, Murgio used Coin.mx, an internet-based Bitcoin exchange, to process over $10 million in Bitcoin transactions in violation of federal anti-money laundering laws, and then obstructed a regulatory examination to hide his scheme.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment to which MURGIO pled guilty and statements made during the plea proceeding and other court proceedings:

The Unlawful Bitcoin Exchange

Between 2013 and July 2015, MURGIO knowingly operated Coin.mx, an unlawful internet-based Bitcoin exchange, in violation of federal anti-money laundering laws and regulations,including those requiring money services businesses like Coin.mx to meet state licensing and federal registration requirements set forth by the United States Treasury Department. MURGIO and his co-conspirators engaged in substantial efforts to evade detection of their unlawful Bitcoin exchange by operating through a phony front company called “Collectables Club.” MURGIO used Collectables Club to open bank accounts, through which Coin.mx operated, in order to trick financial institutions into believing the unlawful Bitcoin exchange was simply a members-only association of individuals who discussed, bought, and sold collectible items and memorabilia.

In addition to lying to banks to open accounts, MURGIO and his co-conspirators deceived financial institutions by deliberately misidentifying and miscoding Coin.mx customers’ credit and debit card transactions, in violation of bank and credit card company rules and regulations. MURGIO and his co-conspirators also instructed Coin.mx customers to mislead banks about the nature of the credit and debit card transactions the customers executed through Coin.mx. For example, MURGIO and his co-conspirators caused customers to falsely tell the banks that the transactions in which they engaged with Coin.mx were for collectibles items, when in reality they were for Bitcoins. Through the illegal Coin.mx scheme, MURGIO and his co-conspirators caused more than $10 million in Bitcoin-related transactions to be processed illegally through financial institutions.

The Federal Credit Union Scheme

In 2014, in an effort further to evade scrutiny from financial institutions about the nature of the business engaged in by Coin.mx, MURGIO and his co-conspirators gained control of HOPE FCU, a federal credit union in New Jersey with primarily low-income members. After making more than $150,000 in illegal bribes, MURGIO and his co-conspirators took control of HOPE FCU. MURGIO installed various co-conspirators on HOPE FCU’s Board of Directors and transferred Coin.mx’s banking operations to HOPE FCU.

In late 2014, MURGIO and his co-conspirators attempted to obstruct an examination of HOPE FCU by the NCUA in order to perpetuate MURGIO’s control of the credit union. In furtherance of this scheme, MURGIO and others caused numerous misrepresentations to be made to the NCUA, including misrepresentations about the headquarters of the Collectables Club, in an effort to convince the NCUA that the Coin.mx-affiliated board members were eligible to serve on HOPE FCU’s Board of Directors. HOPE FCU was operated as a captive bank by MURGIO and his co-conspirators until the end of 2014.

In October 2015, the NCUA placed HOPE FCU into conservatorship, and subsequently liquidation.

MURGIO, 33, of Tampa, Florida, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to obstruct an examination of a financial institution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Two of MURGIO’s co-defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentence. Jose M. Freundt pled guilty on October 13, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and one count of conspiracy to corruptly make payments to an officer of a financial institution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of corruptly making payments to an officer of a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. Freundt is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nathan on April 13, 2017. Michael J. Murgio pled guilty on October 27, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to obstruct an examination of a financial institution, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Nathan on January 27, 2017.

The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Trial for two additional co-defendants, Trevon Gross and Yuri Lebedev, is scheduled to begin on February 6, 2017. The description of the offense set forth in this release are merely allegations and Gross and Lebedev are innocent until proven guilty.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Secret Service. He also thanked the NCUA for its assistance with the investigation and prosecution.

City Announces Pathway for Immigrant New Yorkers to Enter Healthcare Field

NYC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SERVICES ANNOUNCES NEW TRAINING PATHWAY FOR IMMIGRANT NEW YORKERS TO ENTER HEALTH CARE FIELD

Bilingual Medical Assistant Training Program Helps Immigrant New Yorkers Achieve Higher Wage Career Path Through Tailored Training

   The New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) today announced the launch of the Bilingual Medical Assistant Training Program which provides tailored training to immigrant New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. This program, launched by SBS’s New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (NYACH), will help immigrant workers achieve higher wages and enter a career path as a Medical Assistant. The program is run out of SBS’s Workforce1 Career Center in Washington Heights and was developed in partnership with LaGuardia Community College. 

The training program supports New Yorkers in overcoming language barriers and opens up access to career paths in healthcare. The program will also help meet the high demand for a linguistically and culturally competent healthcare workforce to serve an increasingly diverse client population across the city. The two-part training program offers an initial contextualized English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum followed by a newly redesigned, industry-informed medical assistant curriculum that incorporates core competencies required for today’s healthcare workforce and will prepare participants to obtain full-time employment as medical assistants in the City’s community health centers, hospital-based clinics, and private physician practices.

“New York is proud to welcome and extend opportunities to those who immigrate to our city. The Bilingual Medical Assistant Training Program announced today will open a new, higher-wage career path for immigrant New Yorkers,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “This program will also help hospitals and clinics meet the growing demand for linguistically and culturally-competent medical assistants across our city.”

Once participants complete the ESL portion, participants will enter professional skills-based training. Training includes administrative and clinical components, focuses on communication and teamwork skills, preparation for the Clinical Medical Assistant, Electrocardiogram, and Phlebotomy certification exams, and a paid internship. The training is open to New Yorkers across all 5 boroughs. 

The pilot cohorts, which are now underway, include 44 students who hail from a wide array of countries including the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, China, Haiti, Bangladesh, Peru, Pakistan, Mexico, Cuba, Burkina Faso, Nepal, Indonesia, Mali, Togo, and Vietnam. The program takes place on a part-time evening and weekend schedule to allow participants to continue their current employment if applicable. The course is currently being offered at the Washington Heights Workforce1 Career Center.

Individuals who are interested in enrolling in future cohorts for the Bilingual Medical Assistant Training Program or other services may contact the Washington Heights Workforce1 Career Center at (929) 841-5050 or washingtonheightswf1@edsisolutions.com. 

NYACH

NYACH is an industry partnership, bringing together multiple stakeholders of the healthcare workforce development system in order to address the industry’s rapidly changing labor force needs. NYACH is an initiative of the public-private partnership between the NYC Department of Small Business Services and the NYC Workforce Funders. For more information, visit http://nyachnyc.org/ .

About NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) 

SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses and building thriving neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information, visit our website.

SENATOR JEFF KLEIN HOSTS A THREE KINGS CELEBRATION AT SACK WERN HOUSES, CLASON POINT GARDENS AND AT HOLY CROSS SCHOOL

In celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany, Senator Jeff Klein, along with Assemblyman Marcos Crespo and Councilwoman Annabel Palma, hosted a Three Kings Celebration at Sack Wern Houses and Clason Point Gardens on Saturday and another celebration at Holy Cross School on Sunday.

On Saturday night, residents gathered at Sack Wern Houses to enjoy dinner, beverages, dessert, and holiday fun. Children in attendance received special toys, such as art sets, doctor kits, stuffed animals, toy cars, puzzles, sporting equipment and board games.

The following day, Senator Klein, Assemblyman Crespo, and Councilwoman Palma hosted another celebration at Holy Cross School.  Over two hundred attendees enjoyed lunch, dancing, face painting, a bounce house, spin art and more.  At the conclusion of the event, all children received a special toy.

 

“I am thrilled to join with our family, friends, and community members as we celebrate Three Kings Day. This weekend, we witnessed a tremendous display of community spirit as we gathered to commemorate this special holiday and enjoy each other’s company. I wish everyone health, joy, and prosperity in the New Year,” said Senator Jeff Klein

“It is an honor to once again join Senator Klein, as we celebrate this joyous holiday season, provide toys and joy to hundreds of kids and more importantly to celebrate our respective faiths while keeping our cultural traditions alive and well,” said Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.

“Three Kings Day, otherwise known as the ‘Feast of the Epiphany’ is a special holiday within the Latin American community that commemorates the biblical adoration of baby Jesus by the Three Wise Men or Kings. This past weekend, I partnered with my colleagues Senator Jeff Klein, and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, in retelling the story of the Three Kings, while giving out toys to children of the Sack Wern & Clason Point sections of my district, as well as the Holy Cross School. As with the Christmas holiday, this is a time for giving, and I am pleased that we were able to sustain such an important theme into this special holiday,” said Councilwoman Annabel Palma

Three Kings Day honors the biblical story of the Three Kings, also known as the Three Wise men, who followed the star of Bethlehem to bring gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus.

A.G. Schneiderman and Federal Trade Commission File Lawsuit Against Major Dietary Supplement Maker That Marketed Fraudulent Memory Loss Pill To Seniors

Lawsuit Charges That Quincy Bioscience Falsely Advertises Prevagen – A Widely-Sold Supplement That Costs Up To $69 Per Bottle – Claiming It Is “Clinically Shown” To Improve Memory, Yet Possesses No Scientific Evidence For These Claims  

New York AG & FTC Seek A Ban On Further False Claims About Prevagen, Restitution For Consumers, And Civil Penalties

   Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that, jointly with the Federal Trade Commission, his office has filed a lawsuit against dietary supplement maker Quincy Bioscience, LLC and related companies and executives, charging that they deceptively market the widely-sold supplement Prevagen by falsely claiming that the product improves memory, despite lacking reliable scientific evidence to support this claim. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks a ban on further false claims about Prevagen, restitution for consumers, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and civil penalties for violations of state law. 

Quincy Bioscience manufactures Prevagen and has marketed the product since 2007 through an extensive national advertising campaign targeted primarily to seniors and spanning TV, radio, print, and social media. In its advertising and in the product labeling, Quincy Bioscience claims that Prevagen is “clinically shown” to support “clearer thinking” and to “improve memory within 90 days” – yet, the primary support Quincy Bioscience has for these claims is a single study that failed to show a statistically significant improvement in the treatment group over the placebo group on any of the cognitive measures used.

According to the complaint, Quincy Bioscience’s own research demonstrates the flawed science behind its claims that Prevagen can improve memory. Quincy Bioscience developed and marketed Prevagen on the theory that its active ingredient, apoaequorin, a dietary protein, enters the human brain to supplement proteins that are lost during the natural aging process. Yet Quincy Bioscience lacks any studies showing that this orally-administered protein can cross the human blood brain barrier, and in fact, Quincy’s own studies show that the protein is rapidly digested in the stomach and broken down into amino acids like any other dietary protein.

“The marketing for Prevagen is a clear-cut fraud, from the label on the bottle to the ads airing across the country,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “It’s particularly unacceptable that this company has targeted vulnerable citizens like seniors in its advertising for a product that costs more than a week’s groceries, but provides none of the health benefits that it claims. Quincy Bioscience must be held accountable for deliberately misleading consumers across the country.”

“The marketers of Prevagen preyed on the fears of older consumers experiencing age-related memory loss,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Yet despite the defendants’ claims, there is no scientific proof that use of the product will improve memory or provide any other cognitive benefit.”

Prevagen, which can cost up to $69 per bottle, is sold at major retailers and pharmacies across the country, including CVS, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, the Vitamin Shoppe, and Amazon. Sales of Prevagen in the United States from 2007 through mid-2015, minus refunds, totaled $165 million.

The action announced today is one of a number of steps taken by the Attorney General to help educate the public and raise awareness of the potential for false claims involving dietary supplements. In February 2015, the Attorney General sent cease and desist letters to major dietary supplement retailers asking them to halt sales of certain herbal supplements where DNA tests failed to detect the ingredient listed on the product labels.  Later that year, the Attorney General reached settlements with GNC and Nature’s Way in which they agreed to perform DNA barcoding as part of their approach to assuring authenticity.  In September 2016, the Attorney General reached an agreement with NBTY, the herbal supplement maker for Walgreens and Walmart, to implement similar reforms.

This case is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Kate Matuschak and Ellen J. Fried, Special Assistant Attorney General Stephen Mindell, Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine, and Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia, all of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau.  The Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau is in the Division of Economic Justice, led by Executive Deputy Attorney General Manisha M. Sheth. 

Statement By A.G. Schneiderman On Signed Agreement Between Entergy, Cuomo Administration, Riverkeeper, And NY Attorney General's Office To Decommission Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

  “Shutting down the Indian Point power plant is a major victory for the health and safety of millions of New Yorkers, and will help kick-start the state’s clean energy future.

“For the past six years, my office has led the state’s challenge to Entergy’s request for a twenty-year extension of its license to operate Indian Point, and this agreement marks the successful culmination of our work to address the serious health and safety risks that the plant poses to neighboring communities. 

“This agreement puts in place several important safety provisions that go beyond federal requirements to ensure that Indian Point operates as safely as possible as it transitions to a timely shut down. These measures include new requirements for safer storage of spent nuclear fuel at the plant, increased inspections to address faulty and deteriorating bolts throughout the facility, and $15 million in new funding from Entergy to support the environment in the Hudson River and neighboring communities.

“My office will vigorously monitor Entergy's compliance with today's agreement to ensure its terms are met and that our state remains a national leader on the environment. I commend Governor Cuomo for working with all stakeholders, including my office and the committed environmental advocates at Riverkeeper, to get this important deal done for New Yorkers."

Since taking office in 2011, A.G. Schneiderman has continuously advocated for improving safety conditions at the Indian Point facility, and has led the state’s challenge to Entergy’s application before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an extended 20-year license to operate the Indian Point plant. 

In March 2011, the A.G’s office filed a petition with the NRC requesting the Commission take action against Entergy for violating numerous fire safety regulations for which the company was seeking exemptions from compliance. In July 2011, the Commission accepted the A.G.’s petition, and in February 2012, the Commission denied Entergy’s request for exemptions from more than 100 fire safety requirements that overlapped with those listed in the petition.   

Following the earthquake and tsunami that caused a major nuclear accident at Fukushima, Japan in March 2011, the A.G’s office petitioned the NRC to address the risk of seismic events causing a nuclear accident at Indian Point, which is located in an area of seismic activity. In response the Commission began implementing a stepped-up program to manage seismic risk at nuclear power plants.  

Over the past five years, the A.G’s office has successfully enforced laws – over challenges raised by Entergy – requiring federal regulators to take into consideration New York’s policies protecting critical coastal resources as part of the relicensing application process for Indian Point.

COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION CHAIR RODRIGUEZ CONDEMNS LATEST FATAL HIT AND RUN OF 2017

  An elderly man was reportedly killed by a truck driver in Williamsburg this afternoon, the latest victim in a string of fatal hit and run crashes to start 2017. Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez, who earlier this month introduced and announced legislation aimed at catching and convicting hit and run drivers in NYC through an alert system and a reward fund, issued this statement in response:

"The loss of another life on our streets from a cowardly and reckless driver pains me deeply. It is unconscionable that a driver would leave someone dying on the street without staying to see if they are ok to get help. This action is unacceptable and we as a city must do everything we can to see that this and all hit and run drivers are brought to justice. I ask that my fellow New Yorkers be part of the solution by helping to identify this driver and help us to eradicate hit and runs from our streets, because just one is too many."

News From Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

Dinowitz Named Chair of Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

  Veteran Bronx Assembly Member tapped to lead influential committee tasked with oversight of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, state's telecommunications and energy infrastructure

 

Dinowitz pledges "full accountability" of MTA

 

  Looking to build upon ongoing efforts to improve the lives of Bronxites and all New York residents and hold government agencies accountable, Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz this week was named the Chair of the State Assembly's Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions. Dinowitz is pledging to use the influential new post to increase oversight and accountability of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which falls under the committee's purview, in light of the recent LIRR train derailment in Brooklyn, and ongoing concerns over limited public transportation options, particularly in the outer boroughs.

"I'm honored that Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie has entrusted me with this enormous responsibility," said Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz. "The work of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions touches the lives of every New Yorker, from the trains we ride to the phones in our pockets and the utilities we pay for. I intend to use this new role to ensure full accountability of the MTA and all the public entities we rely on every day."

 

Assembly Member Dinowitz received word of the new committee assignment as legislators gathered in Albany this month for the start of the 2017 legislative session. The Bronx official replaces outgoing Chair James Brennan, who in May announced his retirement. Dinowitz most recently chaired the Assembly's Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee.

 

As Chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, Dinowitz will have jurisdiction over the laws concerning private, not-for-profit and public corporations in the state. This includes both the Public Service Commission, which monitors New York telecommunications and utilities, and, most notably, the MTA and its many sub agencies.

 

Dinowitz' appointment comes at a critical time for the nation's largest transit system. The MTA continues to face criticism following the derailment of a Brooklyn-bound Long Island Rail Road train that injured more than 100 commuters last week. Meanwhile, the agency is weathering the fallout from a report late last month that the engineer involved in the deadly 2013 Metro North crash in Dinowitz's Bronx district was given a lifetime pension. In the aftermath of both incidents, Dinowitz is pledging to apply rigorous oversight to the MTA.

 

Dinowitz also intends to use the new post to address the persistent transit woes in the borough widely considered to be a transportation desert. A major component of the committee's work in recent years has been the oversight of the ongoing 2015-2019 MTA Capital Program. While the agency recently saw the successful on-time opening of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway, questions linger about funding for future extensions of the line, as well as other big-ticket transit projects in the city.

Assemblyman Dinowitz Applauds Decision to Close Indian Point

            Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz(D-Bronx), a longtime opponent of Indian Point Nuclear facility, applauds the recent deal made with Entergy Corporation, the facilities operator, to permanently close it by 2021.

Problems and incidents have plagued the facility, located in Westchester, for years including one as recently as February 2016 when a leak in the facility was revealed after radioactivity was detected in the groundwater beneath the plant. Governor Cuomo was forced to make a statement that this leak posed no immediate danger to public health and had not migrated off site, but this incident was merely the latest in a string of mishaps and problems that have occurred at Indian Point since it began operating in 1974.

Assemblyman Dinowitz has long opposed the plants continued operation given the facility’s problems and its proximity to the one of the most populous metropolitan areas on the planet.  In 2012, the Assemblyman opposed Entergy being granted an exemption from fire safety requirements  by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission without a public hearing, and filed a brief in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

“I have never opposed nor do I now oppose the use of nuclear energy or nuclear power plants. However, the consistent problems that Indian Point has had, the proximity of the facility to New York City, and concerns over safety procedures have caused me to oppose the continued operation of the plant. I am pleased that Entergy has made the decision to close the plant,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.