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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Raisa Lin Garden-Lucerna, Environmental Justice Manager at El Puente
1:24:37
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126 sec
Raisa Lin Garden-Lucerna from El Puente testified in support of Intro 998, which aims to codify NYC's cooling center program. She emphasized the need for amendments to address environmental justice communities and improve accessibility, operation hours, and funding for cooling centers.
- Suggested prioritizing cooling centers in areas with high Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) scores
- Recommended extending cooling center hours beyond 9-5 to serve working-class and migrant families
- Called for dedicated funding and clear guidelines for cooling center operations and maintenance
- Proposed annual reporting to identify areas for improvement in addressing extreme heat risks
Raisa Lin Garden-Lucerna
1:24:37
Hello?
1:24:38
Okay.
1:24:39
Good morning, chair shawlman and members of the committee.
1:24:41
My name is Raisa Garden Lucerna, and I'm the environmental justice manager at El Puente.
1:24:45
Founded in 1982, El Puente is a human rights organization located in Brooklyn and Puerto Rico dedicated to holistic youth and community development through arts for social and environmental justice.
1:24:54
I'm testifying on behalf of El Puente in support of the intent behind INTER September.
1:24:58
However, there are amendments needed for it to have the greatest impact.
1:25:01
With the level four heat vulnerability index in Williamsburg and Bushwick, we know it's caused by the lack of trees and green open spaces and air pollution from truck routes and high traffic roadways.
1:25:09
Climate change will only exacerbate these issues from Brooklyn to The Bronx.
1:25:13
That is why INCHO nine ninety eight should not only mandate a minimum number of cooling centers to operate across the city but place an emphasis on EJ communities and neighborhoods with an HVI of four and five.
1:25:22
We need greater accessibility for communities to know and utilize these services too.
1:25:27
Many of our members are working class, migrant, and recently arrived families who may not have access to adequate cooling at home or in shelters.
1:25:34
Urban heat island effect causes heat to linger into the night, and restricting cooling centers to operate during typical working hours neglects these populations.
1:25:41
Thus, INCHO nine ninety eight needs to expand cooling center operation beyond the nine to five schedule.
1:25:46
Additionally, INTRA nine ninety eight should prioritize making information on cooling centers and heat risks readily available with lifetime updates in the top 10 spoken languages of the city.
1:25:55
Furthermore, three of our NYCHA cornerstone centers are cooling centers.
1:25:58
However, they are not well equipped nor funded to optimally operate and serve the community.
1:26:02
Intro nine ninety eight must include clear guidelines for minimum working standards for cooling centers functionality from the New York City Office of, Emergency Management and dedicate funding to support operations and maintenance for designated sites.
1:26:14
Finally, Intro nine ninety eight has the opportunity to directly address extreme heat risk in communities.
1:26:18
It won't be perfect at first, but that is why Intro nine ninety eight must also consider the submission of annual reports outlining data analysis and metrics to identify areas of improvement to meet the growing risks of extreme heat emergencies.
1:26:30
Ultimately, El Puente is supportive of the goals of Intro nine ninety eight.
1:26:34
Heat affects us all, but we all experience it differently.
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And we believe with the aforementioned amendments, Intro nine ninety eight can truly serve all New Yorkers, especially those most heat vulnerable.
1:26:42
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Lynn C. Schulman
1:26:43
Thank you all very much for testifying.