This New York State victory follows on the heels of Vermont’s passage of similar legislation last June, and is an effective example to other states which is especially poignant for New Yorkers, as it was modeled on the original Superfund law, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1980 to force polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic wastes.
CANY and PUSH have long advocated for this legislation, along with many allies in the state, who include NY Renews and Food and Water Watch.
“With nearly every record rainfall, heat wave, and coastal storm, New Yorkers are increasingly burdened with billions of dollars in health, safety, and environmental consequences due to polluters that have historically harmed our environment,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul as she signed the bill into law on December 26.
The original Superfund was prompted by the advocacy of Lois Gibbs, founder of the Center for Health and Environmental Justice (CHEJ), who organized her neighbors in the Love Canal neighborhood near Niagara Falls, New York when toxic chemicals began to bubble up through their lawns and poisoned their water supply. CHEJ is one of the nine national organizations which merged in 2016 to create People’s Action as a national network.
PUSH Buffalo is also celebrating the EPA’s announcement of a three-year, $20 million Community Change Grant, part of a $2 billion allocation through the Inflation Reduction Act to fund environmental and climate justice activities in disadvantaged communities.
“The Community Change Grant represents a turning point for climate resilience and environmental justice for frontline communities in the City of Buffalo,” said Dawn Wells-Clyburn, Executive Director of PUSH Buffalo. “We celebrate President Biden’s investment in self-determined solutions and grassroots leadership right here in our own neighborhoods, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s commitment to climate justice.”
PUSH has already announced a local workshop on January 16 to engage community members about how to implement the People’s Climate Law, which was passed in 2019, and will travel to Albany on January 22 to advocate for more funding for community-based climate solutions.
