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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity Policy at Tri-State Transportation Campaign
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Jaqi Cohen, representing Tri-State Transportation Campaign and the Electrify New York Coalition, testified in support of Intro 1130, which aims to reduce emissions from mega warehouses in New York City. She highlighted the negative impacts of e-commerce warehouses on nearby communities, particularly in terms of air pollution and health risks.
- Cohen emphasized the disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities, with Black, Latino, and low-income neighborhoods more likely to be exposed to these facilities.
- She noted that diesel trucks, despite being a small percentage of vehicles, produce 50% of all transportation-related nitrogen oxide emissions.
- Cohen also mentioned the complementary statewide Clean Deliveries Act under consideration in Albany, which together with Intro 1130 could provide a framework for a more sustainable urban delivery system.
Jaqi Cohen
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Hi.
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Good afternoon.
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Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today.
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I am Jackie Cohen.
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I'm the director of climate and equity policy at Tri State Transportation Campaign.
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We're a member of the Electrify New York Coalition.
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I'm proud to be here.
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I'm here to testify in support of Intro eleven thirty, which would curb emissions stemming from mega warehouses across our city.
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The rise of e commerce has fundamentally changed our urban landscape.
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Last mile warehouses, pivotal in the shift, are now a common feature in and around our cities.
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They facilitate the near immediate delivery of goods, which drives huge profits for companies like Amazon, but come at an enormous cost to the communities living in their shadows.
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These football field sized warehouses operating 20 fourseven generate significant emissions from the numerous delivery trucks that come and go.
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These emissions are not only harmful to the environment, but also to the health of nearby communities, which are often underserved and already overburdened by pollution.
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One in three New York City residents, that's about 3,000,000 people, live within a half mile of an e commerce mega warehouse.
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But the burden falls disproportionately on disadvantaged communities.
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And so to paint the picture in numbers, Black residents are 17% more likely to live near these facilities.
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Latino communities are 13% more likely to be exposed.
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Low income neighborhoods face 19 higher exposure rates.
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And I really resonated with one of the speakers earlier who said that her ZIP code should not determine her health or her quality of life.
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The health impacts are severe.
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Diesel trucks emit particulate matter and nitrogen oxides that worsen air quality and increase risks of asthma, heart attacks, and premature deaths.
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Though diesel trucks make up a small percentage of vehicles on the road, they produce 50% of all transportation related nitrogen oxide emissions.
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INTRO eleven thirty complements the statewide Clean Deliveries Act, which we support currently under consideration in Albany.
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Together, these two bills provide a framework for a more sustainable urban delivery system that would benefit all New Yorkers serves as food serve national As we witness the growth in online shopping, comprehensive regulation has never been more important.
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And by enacting an indirect source rule for mega warehouses, communities all across the five boroughs would benefit from cleaner air, safer streets, and healthier neighborhoods.
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Thank you.