Governor Hochul Announces St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Statewide Impaired Driving Enforcement and Education Campaign

State and Local Campaign to Run March 15 through March 17

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced increased patrols by New York State Police and local law enforcement to combat alcohol and drug impaired and reckless driving as celebrations for St. Patrick's Day get underway statewide. This traffic enforcement detail will run Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17, 2024. This is one of several funded annually by the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee.

"As an Irish New Yorker, I want to make sure we can all celebrate St. Patrick’s Day safely and responsibly,” Governor Hochul said. “There is absolutely no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and if you are celebrating, plan ahead to get home safely.”

Along with increased DWI patrols and sobriety check points, drivers can expect to see law enforcement ticketing distracted drivers who are using handheld electronic devices during this enforcement period. New York State Police will also conduct checks at retail establishments targeting underage drinking and unlawful sales to minors during the campaign.

During last year's St. Patrick's Day impaired driving enforcement, law enforcement statewide arrested 959 people for DWI, issued 188 tickets for distracted driving and 21,282 tickets in total.

Violation	Number of Tickets
Impaired Driving	959
Distracted Driving	188
Move Over Law	152
Other Violations	14,651
Seatbelt	488
Speeding	4,844
Grand Total	21,282

Drunk driving kills more than 11,600 people each year nationwide. One person dies every 45 minutes of an alcohol related crash, an average of 32 people a day, and every one of those deaths is preventable.

Choosing to drive impaired can ruin or end your life or someone else's. This St. Patrick's Day, if you drink and drive, you could face jail time, the loss of your license, a higher insurance rate, and dozens of unanticipated expenses.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and New York State Police ask you to commit to following these easy steps, so you can enjoy a safe holiday without jeopardizing lives on the road:

• Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home.
• Before you start drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you're impaired, use a taxi or ridesharing service, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely.
• If available, use your community's sober ride program.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call local law enforcement. You could save a life.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) and the New York State STOP-DWI Foundation's "Have a Plan" mobile app, is available for Apple and Droid smartphones. The app enables New Yorkers to locate and call a taxi service and program a designated driver list. It also provides information on DWI laws and penalties, and a way to report a suspected impaired driver.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state's toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, community residence, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.

DEC Releases Environmental Bond Act Draft Eligibility Guidelines for Climate Smart Communities Grant Program Projects

 

Draft Guidelines Now Available for Public Comment Through April 12, 2024

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today released for public comment proposed new eligibility guidelines to support projects funded through the State’s successful Climate Smart Communities (CSC) grant program under the historic $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. The guidelines will support the State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050 and help communities prepare for the effects of climate change.

 

“Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, DEC's Climate Smart Communities program is helping New York’s municipalities mitigate climate change and strengthen community resiliency,” said Commissioner Seggos. “These investments through the Bond Act will help reach Governor Hochul’s aggressive climate action goals, and support locally led efforts to reduce climate-altering emissions, especially from organic wastes and refrigerants, and strengthen local infrastructure. I commend DEC’s experts for developing these guidelines and encourage all interested stakeholders to review and provide comments so we can move this important funding forward.”

 

The CSC grant program is a competitive statewide grant program open to local governments to support the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaption projects. Bond Act funding may only be used for certain capital projects. Other activities eligible for CSC grants may be eligible for State Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) investments. DEC will use public input on these draft eligibility guidelines to inform development of the Bond Act-funded CSC grant program.

 

The draft eligibility guidelines available for comment enable the public to provide input on the implementation of Bond Act funding as part of the $400 million directed towards ‘Climate Change Mitigation.’ Once finalized, the criteria will guide funding allocations DEC will use to select Climate Smart Community projects.

The CSC grant program makes awards of between $50,000 and $2 million each to support locally administered projects to adapt to climate change and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions outside the power sector, as described below. Since the program's inception, DEC has awarded more than $60 million from the EPF to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects. Bond Act resources will augment ongoing EPF funding, with grant opportunities made available via the same request for applications.

 

Eligible projects in the mitigation category must reduce greenhouse gas emissions outside the power sector. Eligible greenhouse gas mitigation project types include, but are not limited to the following:

• Construction of on-road or off-road facilities for non-motorized forms of transportation that facilitate commuting or access to daily needs (recreational trails are not eligible);
• Construction of new, or expansion of existing, facilities to process food scraps;
• Establishing and implementing easily replicated renewable energy projects, including solar arrays, heat pumps, and wind turbines in public low-income housing;
• Reducing fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions from refrigeration, chillers, and air-conditioning equipment through replacement or retrofit; and
• Land acquisition (in-fee) required to implement the proposed greenhouse gas mitigation project (excludes acquisition by eminent domain). 

 

Eligible climate change adaptation project types include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Increasing or preserving natural resilience, such as construction of living shorelines and other nature-based landscape features to decrease vulnerability to the effects of climate change;
• Flood-risk reduction, including but not limited to, strategic relocation or retrofit of climate-vulnerable critical municipal facilities or infrastructure to reduce future climate change-induced risks to those facilities;
• Replacing or right-sizing flow barriers;
• Extreme-heat preparation, including but not limited to construction of cooling centers and permanent shade structures;
• Emergency preparedness, including but not limited to, purchase and installation of emergency warning systems; and
• Land acquisition (in-fee) required to implement the proposed climate change adaptation project (excludes acquisition by eminent domain).

Disadvantaged Communities

The Bond Act requires that disadvantaged communities shall receive no less than 35 percent, with the goal of 40 percent, of the benefit of total Bond Act funds ($4.2 billion). Disadvantaged communities are those identified by the Climate Justice Working Group, pursuant to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. DEC has established a 40 percent goal for the CSC grant program consistent with this Bond Act requirement and will aim to prioritize 40 percent of CSC grant awards to benefit disadvantaged communities.

 

The full eligibility guidelines are available in today’s Environmental Notice Bulletin. Public comments on the draft guidelines may be submitted in writing to: Myra Fedyniak, Office of Climate Change, NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12223-1030 P: (518) 402-8448, Email: cscgrants@dec.ny.gov (Place “Bond Act” in the subject line).

 

Public comments will be accepted through Friday, April 12, 2024.  

 

New York’s Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022

On Nov. 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act. State agencies, local governments, and partners will be able to access funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs. Bond Act funding will support new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change.  

 

Since the Bond Act passed, an inter-agency working group comprised of multiple state agencies has been implementing a transparent and collaborative process to identify needs for environmental funding across the state to help develop program logistics. In the last year, the state announced a $200 million funding investment toward the state’s existing Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Grant programs, $100 million available for zero-emission school buses, $100 million available for Clean Green Schools, $2 million investment to protect existing park infrastructure at Cedar Beach on Long Island to protect communities from extreme weather, $13.1 million to support construction of the Adirondack Rail Trail, and State-administered forestry projects to plant 25 million trees by 2033. For more information and to sign up for progress updates, go to www.ny.gov/BondAct. 

Congressman Adriano Espaillat - Apply for Congressional Grant Funding for Local Community Projects Today

Apply for Congressional Grant Funding for Local Community Projects Today  

Now Accepting Applications: Up To 15 Public, Non-Profit Projects Can Be Submitted to House Appropriations Committee 

Click here to view and submit the 2025 Community Project Request Form for Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Deadline to Apply is Friday, April 5th  

Representative Adriano Espaillat, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which funds federal agencies and programs—announced the start of a new cycle of community project funding for state and local entities to receive direct federal funding through the Appropriations process.  

Community Project Funding allows Members of Congress to direct congressional funding to their districts to help address the needs of the community. This funding is critical to helping support the administrative and operational functions of eligible groups in the district. 

Eligible entities that can apply for funding include state or local governmental entities and certain eligible non-profit organizations.  All for-profit groups and entities are ineligible.  Eligible projects are broken down by each spending bill.

Click here to view and submit the 2025 Community Project Request Form for Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13).

“I am excited to announce the opening of community project grant funding is now accepting applications from New York state and local governments, and non-profit organizations, to request Community Project Funding in the upcoming annual federal spending bills,” said Rep. Espaillat. "Each year, this process assists my office in identifying local projects from around my district which need federal funding and support in order to continue their work to assist constituents. I look forward to collaborating with each of the local groups to help identify projects and next steps to ensure this process and funding opportunity is available to all eligible organizations throughout my district.”

A copy of the guidance can be found here. 

Eligible organizations are encouraged to call the Office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat at 202-225-4365 should groups have questions regarding this funding cycle's process and other updates. 

Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fourth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 118th Congress. He is also a member of the House Budget Committee and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Deputy Chair as well as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). Rep. Espaillat is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

DEC Announces $600,000 Now Available to Support Hudson River Estuary Community Resiliency Projects

 

Funding Complements Governor Hochul’s Commitment to Address and Prevent Damage Caused by Major Flooding Events

Supports Community Waterfront Resiliency Engineering Design and Tributary Restoration for Culverts and Road-Stream Crossings

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today that approximately $600,000 is now available to help communities in the Hudson River Estuary watershed increase shoreline resiliency, conserve natural resources, and reduce localized flooding. Funding for these projects is administered by NEWIPCC in partnership with DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program through two Requests for Proposals.

 

“New York is bolstering sustained efforts to help flood-risk communities adapt to climate change-driven extreme weather while protecting the State’s natural resources,” Commissioner Seggos said. “The $600,000 announced today to support efforts in Hudson River Estuary communities will advance the implementation of projects that will improve waterfront and tributary resilience in the watershed for years to come.”

 

Susan Sullivan, NEIWPCC Executive Director said, “NEIWPCC is pleased to help Hudson River communities reduce localized flooding and protect against sea-level rise. These two RFPs will help restore habitat, improve infrastructure, and implement waterfront resiliency projects.”

 

Two Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are available:

 

Community Waterfront Resiliency Engineering Design

Approximately $400,000 is available for qualified consultants to partner with eligible municipalities to use existing community supported, preliminary shoreline resiliency designs to prepare “shovel ready” plans and permitting materials. The design must be technically feasible and appropriate for the location, supported by the community, cost-effective, and permittable. Eligible projects will build on existing conceptual waterfront plans developed with inclusive outreach efforts. The Community Waterfront Design and Permitting RFP and application is available on NEIWPCC’s website. The deadline for proposals is April 12 at 12 p.m.

Since 2020, DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program and NEIWPCC have awarded $500,000 to advance resilient waterfront conceptual designs to implementable preliminary projects in four communities: the village of Piermont; city of Kingston; city of Hudson; and the town and village of Ossining. The waterfront project designs were developed through an engaged stakeholder process and considered technical, regulatory, and funding feasibility. The designs also enhanced habitat value while reducing the impacts of shoreline and stormwater flooding.

 

Tributary Restoration for Culverts and Road-Stream Crossings

Approximately $200,000 is available for projects that will help communities restore aquatic organism passage and habitat connectivity, reduce localized flood risks, and improve water quality in and along Hudson River Estuary tributaries. The road-stream crossing must be at a location that is a barrier to habitat for river herring or American eel. This RFP includes two project types: Final Engineering Design Plans to Replace or Retrofit a Road-Stream Crossing; and Road-Stream Crossing Replacement and Retrofit Projects. The Tributary Restoration for Culverts and Road-Stream Crossings RFP and application is available on NEIWPCC’s website. The deadline for proposals is April 12 at 12 p.m.

 

Since 2015, DEC has awarded nearly $860,000 in competitive grant funding for municipal and county culvert assessments, prioritization, and management plans in Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester counties. Nearly $814,000 was awarded for culvert replacement projects in New Paltz, Esopus, Red Hook, and Milan. The Community Waterfront Resiliency Engineering Design and Tributary Restoration for Culverts and Road-Stream Crossings RFPs and application materials are available on NEIWPCC’s website.  

Funding for these projects is provided by the State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). The initiatives are among Governor Kathy Hochul’s ongoing commitment to helping communities become more resilient. This includes 2024-25 Executive Budget proposals for investments to mitigate damage from major flooding events: $250 million from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 to promote voluntary home buyouts in communities most vulnerable to flooding; $130 million for Green Resiliency Grants to support flood control infrastructure projects; and $40 million to launch the Resilient and Ready program, which will support low- and moderate-income homeowners with resiliency improvements and assist with repairs in the event of a catastrophic event.

 

The Hudson River Estuary Program helps people enjoy, protect, and revitalize the Hudson River and its valley. Created in 1987, the DEC program focuses on the tidal Hudson and its adjacent watershed from the dam at Troy to the Verrazano Narrows in New York City.