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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Ariana Osorio, Resiliency Coordinator at The Point CDC

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Ariana Osorio from The Point CDC testifies in support of Intro 998, emphasizing the need for improved heat emergency preparedness in environmental justice communities like Hunts Point. She highlights the disproportionate impact of extreme heat on their neighborhood and calls for better citywide communication about climate change.

The Point CDC conducted heat research and air quality studies, revealing temperatures 4-5 degrees higher than reported due to local conditions.
Their "Camp EJ" project in summer 2023 demonstrated the physical and mental toll of extreme heat on community members of all ages.
Osorio recommends amending the bill to include widespread public communication efforts about climate change, similar to COVID-19 awareness campaigns.

Ariana Osorio

1:27:38

Good morning, chair Schulman and members of the council.

1:27:40

My name is Ariano Osorio, and I'm the resiliency coordinator at The

Mercedes Narcisse

1:27:43

Point

Ariana Osorio

1:27:43

CDC.

1:27:44

Founded in 1994, The Point is dedicated to youth development and cultural economic revitalization in Hunts Point and in the South Bronx.

1:27:52

Our approach to the lens of art and education is what enables our community to understand what it means to live in an environmental justice neighborhood.

1:27:59

Aside being an environmental justice community, Hunts Point is home to the largest food distribution center in the Western Hemisphere which makes living conditions and living conditions in our neighborhood and the massive infrastructure that's here even worse when it comes to the heat vulnerability index.

1:28:15

At times, some the the reported temperature within the the city is actually four to five degrees higher because of PM 2.5 and because Hunts Point is a heat basin.

1:28:29

I'm here today to voice the point support for intro for the intent of intro nine eighty eight.

1:28:34

We want to ensure that the city government appropriately adapts its policy, management, and response to heat as a climate threat.

1:28:41

Since before the pandemic, the point has participated in extensive heat research and collection of air quality and temperature data for the purpose of understanding the impact that rising climate has on our quality of life.

1:28:53

However, as shared in the New York City heat related mortality report, summers are only getting hotter and our preparedness for such climate emergencies cannot keep pace that safety demands.

1:29:03

A strong case is represented by a project we led with the help of Nizha in summer of twenty twenty three called Camp EJ where our organization led community members in an air quality and temperature study and efforts to understand our neighborhood climate landscape.

1:29:18

While the results of our efforts are shown in Asia's heat related risks, air pollution, and social vulnerability report, what you do not see is the physical impact of the site monitoring and how it what it had on our members who are outside during those extreme heat conditions.

1:29:34

Young people from ages 16 to staff members and volunteers ranging from ages 30 to 50 years were physically and mentally affected by extreme levels of heat trapped in the air as well as the temperatures that were much higher than reported borough wide.

1:29:52

But just summarize.

1:29:54

In summary, we support this and one of the we support this bill but one of the things that is missing and that we would like to amend is the communication on a citywide level.

1:30:04

We believe that bureaucratic agencies do not do enough enough work I guess like even with the MTA and transit to let people know that this is a serious matter, that climate change is real and we would propose that the same efforts that were put out for COVID nineteen, mask up, that kind of graphics, we need that kind of backing by Link NYC, MTA, any kind of local advertisement in our neighborhoods.

1:30:34

Okay.

1:30:34

Thank you.

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Testimony by Raisa Lin Garden-Lucerna, Environmental Justice Manager at El Puente

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Testimony by Anita Kwok, Policy Analyst at United Neighborhood Houses on Intro 998