TESTIMONY
Jake Patel, Special Assistant at the New York League of Conservation Voters, on Restoring Funding for Organic Waste Recycling and Education Programs to Achieve Zero Waste Goals
6:15:43
·
175 sec
Patel criticizes the NYC executive budget for cutting funding to community composting and delaying the citywide curbside organics program rollout.
- He emphasizes the urgency of reducing food waste to combat climate change and environmental injustices
- Food waste sent to landfills disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color
- Patel calls for restoring $7 million for community composting and capital funds for composting facilities
- He urges restoring outreach funding cuts, vital for the successful organics program rollout
- Patel says the proposed budget undermines the city's zero waste and climate goals
Jake Patel
6:15:43
Thank you.
6:15:43
My name is Jake Patel, and I'm also testifying on behalf of the New York League Conservation Voters.
6:15:48
Thank you, Chair Brannen, Chair Brannen, Chair Brannu, as well as members of committee on sanitation for the opportunity to testify.
6:15:53
1 of Eton Mile CBD's top par policy priorities is achieving our city's 0 waste by 20:30 goal.
6:15:59
Food waste is the 3rd largest source of New York City's overall emissions after buildings and transportation.
6:16:04
When food waste is sent to landfills, which are dis approximately located in low income and communities of color, organic waste decomposes to create methane gas, a powerful greenhouse gas more than twenty times more potent than carbon dioxide.
6:16:16
Neighborhoods near polluting facilities like waste transfer stations and incinerators have higher rates of pollution, which cause disproportionately higher cases of asthma, cancer, and other health issues in compound already existing environmental and racial inequalities.
6:16:30
Due to these environmental injustices, which are only being compounded with the impacts of climate change.
6:16:35
The city must do everything in its power to continue moving toward organic waste recycling, including allocating robust funding for these programs.
6:16:43
Despite the urgency of reducing our city's food waste along with many other advocates and elected officials, NYCB was very disappointed with the mayor's executive budget did not restore the cussed community composting or the original timeline for the city wide curbside organics program.
6:17:00
NYLCV stands with advocates calling for the restoration of the community composting budget of $7,000,000 plus capital funds for build outs of the replacement facilities planned for the lower east side ecology center and big reuse mid scale composting facilities.
6:17:14
The community composting budget is a drop in the bucket compared to the many other city programs despite having a profound positive impact on many communities and residents.
6:17:23
Moreover, NYLCB was disappointed that the original rollout for the curbside organics program in the Bronx and Datin Island was not restored in fiscal year 25 executive budget and instead pushed back to October 2024, bringing 3 of the remaining boroughs into the program all at once.
6:17:39
It is fair to say that with the stop and go of previous composting initiatives, we are wary this program will not effectively roll out as originally planned since the executive budget in includes peg cutouts to DSNY Outreach and communications through fiscal year 28.
6:17:54
NYLCV urges the city to restore these peg cuts for outreach since this is a vital part of making the citywide organics program roll out a success.
6:18:03
At a higher level, the proposed fiscal year 25 executive budget cuts directly undermine our city's climate and 0 waste goals outlined in plan NYC.
6:18:10
In addition to the Arizona quality of life goals, Athene continues to champion with the climate crisis growing more and more by the day.
6:18:17
This is no time for New York City to cut funding for 0 waste initiatives and outreach.
6:18:22
With higher than anticipated tax revenues, we hope city restores community composting, program funding, and allocates robust funding over the next several years, not only for operations and staffing, but also for outreach and education, enforcement of the curbside organics program.
6:18:36
Thank you for the opportunity
Vickie Paladino
6:18:37
to speak.