Res. No. 1323
Title
Resolution in support of the enactment of H.R. 2900, The Clean Smokestacks Act of 1999, which would help reduce the cumulative effect of air emissions from new power plants proposed to be built.
Body
By Council Members McCaffrey, Malave-Dilan, Freed, Koslowitz, Linares, Lopez, Marshall, Nelson, Perkins, Sabini and Wooten; also Council Members Cruz, Foster, Harrison, Leffler and Povman
Whereas, Ever since New York State deregulated the wholesale electric industry in 1997 and the retail electric industry beginning in 1998, companies have been flocking here with proposals to build new power plants; and
Whereas, There are approximately 17 applications or pre-applications filed for new plants or expansions of existing plants currently pending before the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting which represent a total of 11,122 new megawatts of electric generation; and
Whereas, Currently there are three new power facilities being proposed for the Astoria/ Ravenswood area of Queens, one on East 14th Street in Manhattan, one in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and recently Con Edison and KeySpan announced a joint venture to develop a power facility at the Greenpoint Terminal Market in Brooklyn; and
Whereas, While the City of New York recognizes the need for clean, efficient power sources that reduce air emissions and improve overall air quality, such a proliferation of power plants in these particular areas has raised serious concerns throughout the New York City community; and
Whereas, H.R. 2900, the Clean Smokestacks Act of 1999, amends the Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate regulations to achieve specified reductions in emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and mercury from power plants by January 1, 2005; and
Whereas, H.R. 2900 would also require the modernization of outdated power plants by requiring them to comply with new source performance standards within five years of the bill's enactment. Because of their age, these plants were exempted from the air emission regulations adopted under the Federal Clean Air Act of 1990; and
Whereas, Under the terms of the legislation, no new New York City power plant could become fully operational unless any existing, older dirtier plants in the same borough are either upgraded to meet stricter air quality standards or shut down. The legislation targets plants that have exceeded their expected life span, which is 30 years; and
Whereas, New York City is already designated as being in severe nonattainment of clean air standards and there are an additional 2,630 megawatts of new power proposed to be generated in New York City; and
Whereas, H.R. 2900 would have an enormous positive impact in New York by significantly reducing the cumulative effect of air emissions from new power plants proposed to be built in New York State; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, The Council of the City of New York strongly supports the enactment of H.R. 2900, the Clean Smokestacks Act of 1999, which would help reduce the cumulative effect of air emissions from new power plants proposed to be built.
L.S. No. 2849
AS 4/18/2000
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