NEWS FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON ENACTMENT OF 2017-2018 STATE BUDGET

State Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) joined his colleagues in the State Senate to vote on the 10 bills of the 2017-2018 Budget. Senator Rivera voted against six of the budget bills, specifically the Aid to Localities (S.2003-D) Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation bill (S.2008-C), the Public Protection and General Government bill (S.2005-C), the Education, Labor and Family Assistance bill (S.2006-C) and the Revenue bill (S.2009-C)

2017-2018 BUDGET OVERVIEW:

"After a tumultuous and flawed process, our State finally announced the passage of the 2017-2018 New York State Budget. Tax paying New Yorkers deserve a better process that genuinely delivers progressive results and does not only provide small steps and half-loaf measures preventing our State from properly investing in its residents and building a stronger economy.

Dismally, this year's budget left out key priorities New York desperately needs. It did not include the DREAM Act, ethics and campaign finance reforms, Campaign for Fiscal Equity settlement funding or measures to protect New Yorkers' health coverage from a repeal of the Affordable Care Act through the implementation of a single payer insurance plan. It also revived the deeply flawed 421-a property tax break program that would cost New York City $2.4 billion a year, while not creating nearly enough long-term affordable housing.

However, I am proud of the hard fight put up by my Senate Democratic Conference colleagues. Despite the fact that our leader, Senator Stewart-Cousins, was once again excluded from budget negotiations, we fought until the last minute to ensure that the voices of the eight million New Yorkers Senate Democrats represent, were heard and acknowledged. These efforts helped us secure important victories for New Yorkers, including raising the age of adult criminal responsibility, increased aid to local school districts, restored funding for ASAP/SEEK educational programs, adequate funding for the MTA and fully funding the visitation program at maximum security facilities which will continue to allow families to visit their relatives seven days a week."

THE BRONX:

"I am very pleased to announce that we were able to secure the $108 million funding to develop the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. The Kingsbridge National Ice Center is a project that I have diligently worked to bring to our community since its inception. Not only do I believe this project would serve as an economic engine for our surrounding neighborhoods, but more importantly, the developer has demonstrated at length a commitment to the residents of our borough by signing a historic Community Benefits Agreement. I remain committed to continue working with both the State and the City to ensure that the development of one of our more historic sites in order to uplift both our community and economy."

HEALTH:

"I'm proud to have been on the forefront in fighting for the $20 million to enhance safety net hospitals that serve low-income New Yorkers. This funding, while limited, will go a long way in helping hospitals that serve our most vulnerable communities.

On the other hand, it was disappointing to see that some my colleagues, even a few who are co-sponsors of this bill, voted down a hostile amendment I presented to include the single payer bill in this year's budget. Some of my colleagues categorized my intervention as grandstanding. However, in saying that, they fail to recognize the critical implications that a single payer healthcare system will have for New Yorkers. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health Committee, passing this policy proposal would represent a fundamental step in ensuring that every New Yorker has access to affordable and quality health care coverage, while saving New York State tax payers millions of dollars in the long term. I am committed to continue working along my colleagues in the State Senate and the State Assembly to finally make health care a right and not a privilege under the law."

CRIMINAL JUSTICE:

"In a historic decision, our State finally took action in removing itself from a dubious list of states that prosecuted 16 and 17 years old as adults. After a long drawn fight, our State's criminal justice system will finally focus on rehabilitating our youth population while protecting the public; not in placing children in a situation where they are more likely to be abused and to reoffend.

This victory did not come without some concessions. The measure will not become effective until 2018 and youth who do enter the system will have to wait 10 years to be eligible to seal their records, potentially affecting their ability to pursue a higher education or secure employment. However, the positives outlined in this measure outweigh the negatives and give our youth in New York who commit a mistake a second chance to grow into responsible members of society, instead of simply locking them up. We would have not been able to finally pass Raise the Age without the unrelenting leadership of New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, the sponsor of the original measure, and a number of dedicated advocates including Justice League NYC, AQE and ShutDownRikers."

State Senator Gustavo Rivera Visits Senior Centers in the 33rd Senate District 

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will visit various senior centers located in Senate District 33. The tour will start with consecutive visits to the RAIN Tolentine Center and the Arturo Schomburg Center and will continue next week with stops at RAIN Mt. Carmel Center and Bronxworks Morris Innovative Senior Center.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera will be joined by representatives of the New York City Department of Finance who will help eligible seniors to enroll in the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs. In addition, Bronx Lebanon Hospital and Union Community Health Center will offer participating seniors critical health screenings, such as blood pressure screening and blood sugar tests.

Further, Senator Rivera's office will continue offering seniors his Senior Resource Guides in both English and the new version in Spanish. These guides are also available upon request at Senator Rivera's district office.

SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING VISITS

1) Center: RAIN Tolentine Center

Location: 2345 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10468

Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:30 AM -12:30 PM

Event Time: 11:00 AM -12:30 PM

2) Center: Arturo Schomburg Center

Location: 1315 Franklin Avenue, Bronx, NY 10456

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Event Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

3) Center: RAIN Mt. Carmel Center

Location: 2405 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458

Date: Thursday, April 20, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:30 AM-12:30 PM

Event Time: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM

4) Center: Bronxworks Morris Innovative Senior Center

Location: 80 E 181st Street, Bronx, NY 10453 

Date: Friday, April 21, 2017

Senator Meet & Greet: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Event Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM

COUNCIL MEMBER YDANIS RODRIGUEZ PROPOSES SOLUTIONS TO NYC CONGESTION IN TRANSPORTATION SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Through Re-thinking Freight and Package Delivery Systems, Transportation Chair Rodriguez Proposed Taking Thousands of Delivery Trucks Off City Streets

  At a symposium on the Future of Sustainable Transportation in NYC, Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez delivered a key note address touching on important topics to reduce congestion, truck traffic and enhance public transit in New York City. Council Member Rodriguez called for a rethinking of delivery systems in New York City that could remove thousands of delivery trucks from the streets. 

CM Rodriguez addressed a three pronged plan to address congestion caused by truck deliveries:

• The legalization of E-Bikes in New York State, with the intention to use e-bikes to transport goods, packages and more, as is being done in cities such as Portland, Oregon. 
• Distribution centers should be located outside of NYC, where delivery bikes can be dispatched from, instead of trucks traversing the city.
• If goods are to be delivered by truck, they should be delivered between 7pm and 7am, to avoid rush hour on city streets.

He also announced that his office is working on legislation to look at requiring garbage pick ups to be completed at night, to ensure they do not contribute to congestion during morning rush hours.

Additionally, Council Member Rodriguez called for a complete overhaul to bus service in New York City so that they are prioritized over car traffic; for the private sector in New York City to contribute to improving the subway system that benefits them tremendously, through an "adopt-a-station" model and more; and re-emphasized his call to continue expanding Citi Bike.

"Fundamentally, we must make the experience of not driving a car cheaper, faster, safer and more enjoyable than the alternative," said Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez. "We cannot expect New Yorkers to give up their cars until this happens, which means the pressure is on us as policy makers to improve public transit and our growing bike network. I am glad to take on this challenge and events like Car Free Day are just the start, aiming to bring attention to these issues."

The event was organized by the University Transportation Research Center, Region 2 as part of the countdown to Car Free Day on Earth Day this year. 

EDITOR's NOTE:

While Portland Oregon is half the size of New York City the population of Portland Oregon is 632,000 people compared to the over 8,000,000 people living in New York City. The entire Metro Portland area comprises 2,350,000 people while the Metro New York City area comprises 19,800,000 people. 

As for e-bikes the price listed on one Portland E-bike company lists several different models ranging in prices starting at $1,650.00 up to $4,399.00 for e-bikes that can range from a 500 watt motor up to a 2,000 watt motor. The top speed of these e-bikes range from a low of 18 MPH to a high of 28 MPH. the speed limit in NYC is 25 MPH. A license is only needed if the e-bike is 750 watts or higher, and the rider must be over 16 years of age.

The e-bike information comes from Cynergy E-Bikes of Portland Oregon.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Settles Civil Rights Suit Against New York City For Violating The Americans With Disabilities Act

NYPD Refused to Hire HIV Positive Applicant for the Position of Police Communications Technician

   Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that the United States has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the CITY OF NEW YORK (the “City”), and specifically the NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT (“NYPD”), violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) through its medical disqualification of an HIV positive applicant for a Police Communications Technician position. The settlement agreement was entered today by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said: “The ADA prohibits employers from denying job applicants employment opportunities on the basis of a disability or perceived disability. As a result of this lawsuit, the City of New York has acknowledged that HIV status is not a basis to deny an individual employment. We will continue to work to ensure that employers do not discriminate against job applicants with disabilities.”

According to the Complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan on January 17, 2017, the applicant – who is HIV positive – applied for the position of Police Communications Technician. The applicant successfully underwent an initial screening process, which included a background check, and received a conditional offer of employment. Following receipt of the conditional offer of employment, the applicant was required to undergo a medical examination. Shortly after completion of the medical examination, the NYPD informed the applicant that he needed to submit additional paperwork, including a blood test. After the applicant submitted the requested paperwork, the NYPD disqualified him solely because of his “HIV low CD4 count.”

The NYPD’s failure to hire the applicant because of his HIV status was in clear violation of the ADA. ADA prohibits employers from discriminating against qualified individuals solely on the basis of a disability, such as being HIV positive, in the hiring process.

As part of the settlement, the City extended the applicant a conditional offer of employment, is paying the applicant $85,000, and acknowledges that its disqualification of the applicant based on his HIV low CD4 count was in error.

More information on the obligations of employers with respect to job applicants with disabilities is available at www.ada.gov and www.eeoc.gov.

Mr. Kim thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for its initial investigation of the Complaint.

NEW INDICTMENT IN 2012 MURDER OF HANSEL ARIAS; TWO GANG MEMBERS CHARGED IN FATAL STABBING

Re-Investigation of Killing Followed Bronx DA Darcel D. Clark’s Dropping of Charges Against Enger Javier in 2016  

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that, after a thorough reinvestigation of the murder of Hansel Arias, two Bronx men have been indicted for fatally stabbing Arias on August 19, 2012 in the Claremont section of the Bronx. 

   District Attorney Clark said, “After I moved to dismiss the case against Enger Javier in February, 2016, Bronx Homicide started a re-investigation of the crime, and I assigned a new Assistant District Attorney to the case. They re-interviewed witnesses and re-examined physical evidence. We re-examined the killing of Hansel Arias very carefully and we would not be pressured or hurried to a conclusion. 

  “We needed to make sure that we could bring justice and a semblance of closure to Hansel Arias’ family. Now, two men will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for this brutal crime.” 

  District Attorney Clark said that defendants, Jose Rodriguez, AKA “Bebo,” 24, of 184 East 164th Street and Jesus Reyes, AKA “Cibao,” AKA Darinso Marte, 26, of 291 East 162 Street were arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas. They were remanded and are due back in court on September 5, 2017.

  The defendants were indicted on second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter and first-degree Gang Assault. They face up to life in prison if convicted. 

  According to the investigation, on August 19, 2012, at about 2:15 a.m., the defendants, members of the Trinitarios gang, were part of a large group that had been dispersed by police and then re-congregated near 1645 Webster Avenue. 

  Arias was asked about his gang affiliation and an argument broke out, and Arias was attacked by several people. According to the investigation, Rodriguez allegedly grabbed a knife from Reyes and allegedly stabbed Arias in the chest, killing him.

  An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

MAYOR DE BLASIO’S MEETING WITH STATEN ISLAND BOROUGH PRESIDENT JIMMY ODDO

   Mayor Bill de Blasio and Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo had a late lunch in Borough Hall to discuss issues of shared interest. They were joined by First Deputy Mayor Tony Shorris and Jason Razefsky, Borough President Oddo’s Chief of Staff. They ate sandwiches and wraps from Leo’s Sandwich Shop on Forest Avenue. Borough President Oddo showed off a bat that belonged to Jose Reyes and they discussed the start of baseball season. They agreed on the need for more transportation options, expediting new community space across the island and the importance of bringing new jobs directly to Staten Islanders. Borough President Oddo highlighted details of his ‘quadrangle plan’, the positive impact of a successful Matrix project, Staten Island Ferry boarding issues and his desire for additional ferry service. They also discussed new ways to improve health and wellness on Staten Island and across the city. Borough President Oddo recommended the Mayor read “Spark,” a book by Dr. John J. Ratey about how exercise enhances academic performance. Mayor de Blasio assigned specific staff and agencies to resolve outstanding issues related to many of these projects to ensure resolution.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  

I can't wait for Mayor Bill de Blasio to come to the Bronx, and do the same with Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Bronx BP Diaz Jr. can show the mayor a New York Yankee bat, and then they can have a conversation about the Kingsbridge National Ice Center.

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz - I AM RUNNNG FOR CITY COUNCIL

You should know that at 74 years of age, and after serving our community with an exemplary legislative record, where 15 pieces of my legislation have become Law after being approved by the Senate, the Assembly, and signed into Law by the Governor, I have decided to officially announce my candidacy for the 18th Council District in the City of New York.

You should also know that there are few legislators who have 15 laws approved in 15 years. In fact, there are many legislators who have been unable to pass 1 bill in all of their legislative life.

For that reason, and because of the multitude of community projects that I have been responsible for, such as: construction of low-income housing; repair of train stations; re-pavement of streets; Implementation of charter schools; services for senior citizens, immigrants, non-medallion taxi car drivers, and many more initiatives, I believe that the residents of the 32nd Senatorial District in Bronx County have been well represented during the past 15 years.

I enter into this new endeavor praying and hoping: that God will provide me with health and fortitude; that the residents of the 18th City Council District will place their trust in me; and that my friends and followers both inside and outside of the 18th City Council District will give me their support and contributions, not only spiritual, but physical, emotional, political and financial.

This is Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz, and this is what you should know.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It seems like the worst kept secret is out now that Senator Diaz Sr. has made this announcement public. He made his intentions known well before he was re-elected to the State Senate last year. 

In a statement on Facebook, 18th City Council Candidate Elvin Garcia has welcomed the candidate with the most experience being raided by the FBI into the race.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES PRELIMINARY PROGRESS REPORT ON NEIGHBORHOOD POLICING

Introduction by Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan, NYPD

We’re out here today to announce that on April 24th the 1-2-3 precinct will be joining in as one of our neighborhood policing commands. They will be one of four more commands that will be rolling out on the 24th including the 6-3 – excuse me, including the 2-5, the 7-6, the 9-4. On April 24th, that will give us 43 out of our 77 police commands that will be running under this philosophy. In the summer, we are going to be announcing four more commands in July. It will be the 6-3, the 8-3, the 1-0-6, and the 1-1-5. So by summer we will have 47 out of our 77 police precincts and all nine of our housing PSAs will be running under this philosophy.

Neighborhood policing is a philosophical change in the way that we police. It’s tying out cops to specific areas, specific geographies within their commands. It is our neighborhood coordination officers working and creating a team that it is within its command that has ownership. We allow our cops to resolve problems; we allow our cops to figure out how to provide services, working together with the community. Before we put these cops out we do extensive training with them, and that is currently where the officers that are going to be the neighborhood coordination offices here in the 1-2-3 are today. They are receiving our criminal investigation course. This is the same course that every new detective gets. They will be able to respond to and investigate crime in a manner similar to our detectives and working in close conjunction with the detectives up in the squad. This is the change that we’ve given to our officers; we trust our officers to have their discretion and to be able to resolve problems on their own. So, we are very glad to have to 1-2-3 involved in this program starting on April 24^th. Thank you. Mayor –

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well thank you, Chief. Thank you for the good news and I want to first of all say really happy to be starting this week here in Staten Island and starting with good news for all the residents of the 1-2-3 precinct. Chief – Chief I want to thank you for the leadership role you play as chief of patrol in taking the vision that began when Commissioner Bratton was commissioner and Jimmy O’Neill was chief of department and has continued to grow. Our neighborhood policing vision has deepened throughout the City – has a lot of elements, the NCO program is a key piece of it. But under Chief Monahan’s leadership it has really deepened all over the City. And look, this is part of how we keep people safer. We believe in neighborhood policing for many reasons; we believe it will bring community and police closer together. We believe it will make our officers safer. We believe it will increase the flow of information to our officers from communities. Overall, we believe it is the right path for public safety. And it is something very powerful when we can bring it to another precinct. Neighborhood policing, overall, affects how we train all our new officers and it affects, obviously, the retraining we do on a regular basis. It has to do with everything we are now doing in the police department. But one of the leading elements is the neighborhood coordination officers. And to have the NCOs here in the 1-2-3 will deepen the already extraordinary efforts that are happening all the time in this precinct. This has been a precinct where the precinct leadership and the men and women who patrol these streets have done an extraordinary job. And we want to keep building on those gains – as an example of the fact that we believe even when he NYPD has found great success that we have to keep go farther.

You know, we have talked in the last couple of weeks about big changes we are going to make in the city. Obviously we have talked about the decision to close the jail facility on Rikers Island in the coming years. That was predicated on the idea that we can keep driving down crime. And we have to do that in every single one of our precincts. So we are dedicated to – even in places that have seen great success – going farther because we are depending on the NYPD and all of their partners in neighborhood all over New York City to continue this success; to keep deepening it year after year.

Let me tell you that the NCO relationship – what the neighborhood coordination officers do – the relationship they have to the people they serve, I have seen it all over the City now and it is extraordinary to me. You talk to the officers – the level of satisfaction they have doing their work is striking because they really get to know the community; they really bond with not only community leaders but everyday people in the community. And they hear what is going on in a way that they didn’t have an opportunity to before. They learn about a lot of problems even before problems emerge; they are getting the kinds of tips that allow them to stop crimes before they happen. They are getting the kind of information that allows them to get to illegal weapons. They are getting a lot of thank yous from the people they serve because that relationship helps bring out the best in everyone.

And I tell you, when I talk to neighborhood residents they are so appreciative to have that personal relationship with the officers who serve them. So, this is the wave of the future. This is how policing will continue to get better. And we are convinced that the numbers are now backing up – we felt all along this was an idea that was going to work and it has gone along we have said many times – Commissioner O’Neill and I have said – we have heard from so many community residents, so many officers that we knew anecdotally that it was working. But now we are in a position to give you some numbers to further clarify the success already of neighborhood policing overall and specifically of the neighborhood coordination officer program.

So let’s look at the first quarter of 2017 – the first three months of this year – the precincts that had NCOs saw a 6.2 percent drop in index crimes versus the same quarter a year ago – 6.2 percent drop in crime in those precincts. Now, that compares to a 5.2 percent decline in the citywide crime statistics. So we’re very proud of what has been achieved citywide – 5.2 percent decrease in index crimes from last quarter to this is amazing to begin with, but the fact that we have even gone farther in the precincts that had NCOs is something that really makes clear why this is the idea we needed to keep [inaudible]. And remember a lot of those precincts are some of the ones that have had he toughest problems with crime over the years. When we rolled out the NCO initiative we focused it on precincts that had the most violent crime. So even though that is the history – at the same time we have seen even greater decreases in the crime than the citywide average.

And now, I want to give you one example that I think really puts – gives you a real clear sense of why this initiative works and it is from the 7-1 precinct in Central Brooklyn. So the NCO program was initiated there and we started to see the way that it could solve crimes in a different way. So in the 7-1 precinct there was a major uptick in car break-ins last fall and the NCOs who were assigned to the area worked with neighborhood contacts they had; they worked with neighborhood resident who were helping them to get the information they needed and they found a way to get video of some of the break-ins. They used the video to identify the suspects and to determine the pattern of the crimes. And then the NCOs – because this is a program that focuses on being strategic and flexible – they adjusted their schedules. They worked the midnight shift when most of the break-ins were happening. By staying in close contact with community members, constantly updating their information, they were able to pinpoint where the suspects would be and they were able to catch them in the act of breaking into vehicles. And that meant that that crime pattern was immediately stopped. To make matters even better, one of the suspects had a loaded gun on him. So you got a gun collar in the bargain – an illegal weapon taken off the streets at the same time. This is an example of why this model is so powerful. It allows the NYPD – already the greatest police force in the country to go even farther and to focus resources even better and use that community information in a way that solves crimes like never before.

So it is a great joy that the 1-2-3 precinct will benefit from the NCO initiative. Again, this is a precinct – everyone should be very proud of this precinct; the safest residential precinct in the city for the last six years. The people who live here should be proud, elected officials should be proud, first and foremost the men and women of the NYPD should be proud. But you don’t rest on your laurels. We’ve got to keep going. We’ve got to keep driving down crime. So, this is a place that benefits from this initiative too.

I got to tell you it is exciting to see how all these pieces are coming together because the NCO program was made possible – just like our anti-terror efforts, our Critical Response Command and other units were able to be as strong as they are because we added 2,000 more officers on patrol; because we have added the technology, we have added the training. All of these pieces are adding up to make us safer. And we are convinced this is the way of the future. This is the first time we have been able to see statistics from such a wide sample of the city. But if the first quarter of this year is any indication, neighborhood policing is well on its way to making us safer and the NCO component, in particular, is really leading the way.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF SUCCESSFUL E-WASTE COLLECTION PROGRAM PIONEERED ON STATEN ISLAND

   Mayor de Blasio today announced the expansion of a successful curbside electronic waste collection program started on Staten Island to other boroughs of the city beginning this fall.

“Since the e-waste pilot on Staten Island was such a success, we’re expanding it to a lot more New Yorkers.” saidMayor de Blasio. “It’s so important to our zero waste goals to recycle everything we can, including electronics – but we also need to make it easier for our residents to do so, and that’s what this program is all about.”

“We are proud to have worked with Council Member Matteo to bring the pilot curbside electronic waste collection program to Staten Island, and we are thrilled with the support we received from Staten Island residents. Based on this support, we have worked to make this a permanent program, and to expand the coverage areas to make it available to more and more residents in the months and years to come,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia.

Last April, as part of the FY 2017 Executive Budget and in response to growing concerns from New Yorkers about the lack of convenience of electronics recycling programs, the Mayor announced that the Department of Sanitation would launch a one-year pilot program to collect electronic waste at the curb from residents of Staten Island. That program began in October 2016 and has been overwhelmingly successful.

In the first six months of the program (Oct. 2016 – March 2017):

·         Staten Islanders scheduled 6,036 appointments for e-waste collection by calling 311 or going tonyc.gov/electronics.

·         Through the program, DSNY has collected 10,912 electronic items, diverting more than 400,000 pounds of electronic waste from landfills.

Now, based on the success of the pilot on Staten Island, the program will be made permanent and expanded to the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens over the next three years. The expansion will start in North Brooklyn (CBs 1-5, 8-9, 16-17) this fall and will continue in FY19 and FY20.

Electronics often contain valuable materials, like gold and copper, as well as harmful materials, including lead, mercury and cadmium. Recycling electronic waste not only keeps these toxins from polluting the air, soil, and water, it also reduces energy and water use associated with manufacturing new materials. In January 2015, the New York State law banning the disposal of electronic waste took effect, barring the City from collecting these materials as refuse.

How E-Waste Collection Works:

Residents of 1-9 unit buildings can make appointments at nyc.gov/electronics or calling 311. Residents select an available appointment slot and indicate the number and type of electronic items they want collected. Up to 20 items can be recycled per appointment. Residents must place all items on their curb line the evening before their confirmed collection day. While certified specialists will erase computer hard drives after collection, it is highly recommended residents remove all private information from electronic items before pickup. Up to 40 appointments will be available in each collection zone per day and appointments can be made up to two weeks in advance.

Sanitation Workers collect these items in a specialized truck and bring them to a central facility for consolidation. Once enough electronic items have been collected, the city’s electronics recycling vendor transports the material to a regional recycling facility for proper recycling.

E-Waste Collection for Apartment Buildings:

Since 2013, the e-cycleNYC program has offered residents of apartment buildings with 10 or more units convenient, in-building collection of electronic waste. Buildings interested in enrolling have their electronics collected either with a collection bin or in a storage area. Residents place their unwanted electronics in the bin. When the bin is full, the material is collected and then recycled. The program is a public-private partnership between the Department and ERI; it is fully funded by electronics manufacturers and is free to taxpayers and participating buildings.

New Yorkers can also donate working electronics through DonateNYC (www.nyc.gov/donate) and can recycle unwanted electronics at household hazardous waste drop-off sites and SAFE Disposal events in all five boroughs.