Forum Photo Courtesy of Michael V. Cusenza
A bill that would increase the standard of materials placed into Jamaica Bay’s borrow pits has passed both the Assembly and the Senate.
By Michael V. Cusenza
A bill that would increase the standard of materials placed into Jamaica Bay’s borrow pits has passed both the Assembly and the Senate, Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (both D-Howard Beach), who sponsored the piece of legislation in the Assembly and Senate, announced Tuesday.
The bill would alter the criteria for filling the Jamaica Bay borrow pits in order to comply with criteria set by the federal government for ocean dumping, Pheffer Amato noted.
File Photo
“The priority and necessity of this bill is clear—my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate see the value of this bill, and the importance of protecting our environment,” Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato said.
“The priority and necessity of this bill is clear—my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate see the value of this bill, and the importance of protecting our environment. Both houses have passed this bill for three sessions in a row, only for Gov. Cuomo to veto it. It’s more important than ever to invest in Jamaica Bay and ensure that our standards are up to the highest standards, and we can never turn back. I want to thank Sen. Addabbo for his partnership on this legislation, and to the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and numerous civic leaders and organizations for their advocacy,” Pheffer Amato said.
“In recent years, Jamaica Bay has seen a resurgence of marine wildlife due to cleaner and healthier waters. However, our efforts to protect the bay is not over,” Addabbo said. “Bill S.2205/A.453 seeks to further protect Jamaica Bay by strengthening the protections of the bay’s waters with stricter restrictions on what kind of materials are allowed to be used to fill the borrow pits. We hope to see this bill pass so future generations can benefit from this vital waterway. I want to thank the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and community leaders for working on this issue and Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato for sponsoring this bill successfully in the Assembly. We hope Gov. Cuomo will sign this important bill into law.”
It is worth noting that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vetoed this same bill in the past three consecutive legislative sessions.
