As we ring in the new year, New York City welcomes a new City Council to preside over its districts. Bills that did not pass in 2021 were filed for end of session, and must now be reintroduced to the new City Council this month. These bills are crucial to preserving the health and prosperity of its people and environment for decades to come, and must be the top priority of each and every council member.
Int 0277 – EV charging in parking garages.
The bill would require that newly constructed parking garages and open lots be capable of supporting electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in forty percent of their spaces by January 1st, 2030. Current garages and lots must ensure that twenty percent of their spaces are capable of supporting EV charging stations. This will also apply to any major alterations to parking garage electrical systems. The more EV charging infrastructure the city implements, the easier it is for New Yorkers to switch from fossil-fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. While conventional vehicles emit harmful pollutants linked to adverse health effects and decreased air quality, the shift to electric can lower pollution-related health outcomes, while at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease our carbon footprint.
The bill would prohibit food service establishments and food delivery platforms from providing eating utensils, containers, condiment packets, and napkins for take-out and delivery orders unless the customer requests them. This drastically reduces the amount of single-use plastics that end up in the city’s waste stream, which pollute waterways and threaten the health of local wildlife. It encourages the use of reusable tableware, which decreases use of petroleum produced plastics, and brings the City closer to reaching both its emissions and waste reduction goals.
Int 1942 – Organic waste drop off sites.
The bill would require the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) establish and operate at least three permanent organic waste drop-off sites in each community district. When organic material is sent to landfills, it releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. By increasing the prevalence of drop-off sites, New Yorkers would be more incentivized to participate in composting, rather than throwing their waste away in traditional trash receptacles. This bill is a critical steppingstone needed in our larger goal to establish a widespread, reliable composting program for all New Yorkers to dispose of their organic waste.
Int 1943 – Community recycling centers.
The bill would require the Department of Sanitation to establish and operate at least one recycling center in each community district. When materials such as textiles, glass, metal, and plastic reach the end of their use, current cradle-to-grave processes allow these materials to sit in landfills, some taking hundreds of years to decompose. Increasing participation in recycling will divert these materials from landfills, and encourage them to be reused, helping the City to achieve its Zero Waste goal by 2030.
Int 2465 – Streamlining bike lane projects.
This bill would create a uniform process for the Department of Transportation to provide notice of any street project, including those for bike lanes. This will make achieving major transportation upgrades easier while still preserving important procedures that involve local community boards and council members. By streamlining these notice processes, we’re ensuring the City’s newest transportations goals and street projects can happen in an efficient manner. Furthermore, expanding access to and improving infrastructure for automobile alternatives, such as biking, reduces transportation emissions and decreases the City’s carbon footprint.
Int 2467, Int 2466, Int 2474 – Lead protection bills.
These bills would require all lead-based paint abatement activities where a child under the age of six resides to be completed by July 1, 2023. Any existence of peeling lead-based paint in a common area where such a child resides will be considered a class C hazardous violation, and property owners must produce records of self-inspections and abatement when such violations have been issued. When lead paint is absorbed into the body, it can cause critical damage to internal organs. Children under the age of six are much more susceptible to lead poisoning, putting them at a higher risk for severe mental and physical development issues. These issues would be easily prevented by simply removing and replacing all lead-based paint. By accelerating the removal of this paint in a shorter time period, we’d decrease the number of children harmed by its toxins.
By Sabrina Pangione