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New York is leading the nation in protecting the state’s drinking water from chemical contaminants linked to cancer even as the Trump administration is moving the nation backward when it comes to keeping drinking water safe.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recently proposed Green New Deal would mandate that New York be powered 100% by carbon-free electricity by 2040. To meet this goal, the state will increase its targets for offshore wind power to 9,000 megawatts (MW) by 2035, which quadruples the previous goal of 2,400 by 2030; increase the distributed solar energy target to 6,000 MW by 2025, up from 3,000 by 2023; and deploy 3,000 MW of energy storage by 2030.

New York City released its roadmap to eliminate childhood lead exposure by 2029 by expanding blood-lead screening in children, increased enforcement and interagency collaboration, and increasing public education on lead risks. NYLCV believes that while all of these measures will help reduce incidences of lead poisoning, the most critical step towards eliminating lead in paint and dust, the main source of exposure in children, is stronger enforcement that are on the books.

Last month, Governor Cuomo and the Department of Public Service (DPS) moved to implement landmark new energy efficiency and energy storage targets that will help decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Some Suffolk County communities may soon be integrated into a new public sewer treatment system that would protect public and environmental health from this avoidable form of pollution. There is currently $390 million in federal and state funds ready to be used to advance sewer expansion projects as part of the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative that was created after Hurricane Sandy.

Nearly 250 cities, towns and villages in New York are changing the way they operate to fight climate change. These municipalities are part of the state’s nine-year-old Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program, which capitalizes on the fact local governments have direct control or major influence on most of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The ongoing federal government shutdown has brought several consequences to our environment and public health. Many local projects, such as air quality monitoring and Superfund site cleanups including the Gowanus Canal in New York City, are suspended.

Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt may continue former Secretary Zinke’s anti-environmental legacy of rolling back federal lands protections and stopping progress on climate change.