Speaker 16
2:23:51
Thank you to the city council for hearing my testimony in support of the use of shore power by all cruise ships docking in New York City.
2:23:58
My name is Debbie Reservato, and I've lived in Redhook, Brooklyn for 15 years.
2:24:02
I have 2 children who've lived in Redhook their entire lives.
2:24:06
They attend PS 15, Patrick F Daily, where I'm also a PTA board member.
2:24:10
I'm here to represent not only myself and my family, but all of the families in the PS 15 community who cannot be here today.
2:24:17
I feel that it is important for me to speak because I own a home in Redhook and plan to live here for many years to come.
2:24:23
Red Hook is a mixed use neighborhood with residential properties alongside manufacturing businesses and last mile warehouses.
2:24:31
Families already have to deal with traffic and exhaust from idle trucks parked outside our door at all hours of the day.
2:24:38
When cruise ships are docked there and running on marine diesel fuel, we are exposed to emissions that are far more toxic than those caused by typical highway fuel.
2:24:46
Children that grew up in Redhook continued to suffer from high rates of asthma and blood lead levels caused by preventable environmental factors.
2:24:54
My children spend hours outside each day on the playground at PS 15 and at the Redhook ball fields just a few blocks from the cruise ship terminal.
2:25:03
Air quality sensors throughout the neighborhood show that they are exposed on a weekly basis to harmful levels of pollutants.
2:25:09
This is made worse by prolonged physical exertion during recess after school sports and playtime outdoors.
2:25:16
I'm concerned for the long term health of my children my husband, a cancer survivor, and all of the families who called Redhook their home.
2:25:24
If a cruise ship cannot plug into shore power, it should not be allowed to dock in New York City.
2:25:29
Intro 4, our water, our air, would require cruise ship companies to use shore power and provide protections against some of the harmful impacts of diesel fuel emissions.
2:25:38
Passing this legislation will be a critical step towards a sustainable future for the families of Redhook and the greater New York City area.
2:25:46
Cruise ships should dock responsibly.
2:25:48
We deserve clean air now.
2:25:51
Thank you to council members for hearing my testimony.
2:25:54
Please consider the families of Redhook and support intro 4, I appreciate your time and attention.
