Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena – Coeymans

Thank you to the Media Sanctuary for allowing us time to discuss the reasons why Gov. Hochul needs to veto LECCLA. We hope all local reporting makes a difference!

It’s all up to Governor Kathy Hochul now. On Friday, December 10, 2021, NY State Senate Bill A291A, also known as LECCLA, was delivered to her desk to approve (“sign”) or reject (“veto”). Signed bills become law; vetoed bills do not. However, if the governor fails to sign or veto a bill within the 10-day period, the bill automatically becomes law.

If a bill is delivered to the Governor when the Legislature is out of session (typically from late June until early January), the rules are a bit different. At such times, the Governor has 30 days (including Sundays) in which to make a decision. Failure to act has the same effect as a veto. Informally, this failure to act is often referred to as a “pocket veto.”

In the next 10 days, please continue to voice your concerns for this bill!

Have no doubts, this bill will lead to burning waste at the Lafarge cement plant in Ravena and other industries that depend on high temperature kilns.

Our friends at Beyond Plastics shared this very important bulletin today to help gauge support for something that could help our cause here in Selkirk, Ravena, Coeymans.

Please call Congressmember Paul Tonko and urge him to cosponsor the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (H.R.2238) today before 5pm to help lessen the chances of end-of-life plastics being one of the alternative fuels that cement companies like Lafarge Holcim could use to run their kilns.

In 2021, NY-20 residents engaged with Rep. Tonko through constituent meetings, rallies, and letters to the editor urging him to cosponsor this essential bill. Representative Tonko has not cosponsored because of his committee assignments – but we think that’s an even more important reason to cosponsor this bill!

Seventeen NY Representatives have cosponsored the BFFPPA, including Representatives Antonio Delgado, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sean Patrick Maloney, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand  We know we can get Rep.Tonko to join his NY colleagues and take bold action on plastic pollution, but we need your help! Click here to call now!

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest challenges to our climate, health, and water systems. A new report from Beyond Plastics found that emissions from US plastic production will exceed US coal-fired power plants by 2030 without intervention. Representative Tonko is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change – it is imperative that he support the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, which would put a 3-year moratorium on new permits for plastic production facilities and put in common-sense measures to reduce plastic production and demand.

Call Rep. Tonko today before 5pm, and share this action with your friends and family in NY’s 20th district: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/call-tonko-bffppa

Efforts are in full swing this week to convince NYS Governor Kathy Hochul to veto a bill sponsored by Democratic Senators Todd Kaminsky and Assemblyman Robert Carroll referred to as LECCLA (Low Embodied Carbon Concrete).

To our delight, a letter written by Beyond Plastics president, Judith Enck, was co-signed by 90+ groups that agree LECCLA is a threat to our community and State. It’s no surprise that cement plants are eager to tout plastic waste as an eco-friendly alternative to burning coal for fuel in their kilns. It saves them big money to do so but this move actually undercuts recycling efforts and worsens air quality.

With the holidays looming, timing is important right now. Sometime soon, the State Assembly (the house that passed the bill first) will send the bill to Governor Hochul and she will have ten days to decide whether to sign or veto the bill. While we’re encouraged by the additional support, including another 150 calls made to the Governor, we need more people and groups on our side!

This just in: A leading statewide trade union called the Associated General Contractors of New York State (AGC NY) that represents contractors and open shop companies are against LECCLA too. They sent the then-Governor Cuomo this letter citing reasons why.

Social Media Outreach

If you agree that LECCLA is a bill that will have negative safety, environmental, and taxpayer impact,  please copy or adapt the sample tweet below:

Today, we’re joining @plasticsbeyond & 90+ organizations in calling on @govkathyhochul to reject false #climatechange solutions by VETOING Assembly Bill A 2591A (a.k.a. LECCLA).

Burning waste in cement kilns is NOT #cleanenergy.

Please feel free to tag any or all of the organizations who have signed on that you can fit, including:
@LWVNYS
@foodwaterwatch@greenpeaceusa
@PlasticPollutes
@nypirg
@Surfrider
@GAIAUS_CAN
@OceanicGlobal
@PAUSEnergy
@350NYC
@CafeteriaCu
@FoodScraps360

Thank you to local ABC affiliate News10 for reporting on an ongoing and potentially dangerous issue in the town of Ravena: fugitive dust. Reporter Anya Tucker interviewed several homeowners today who live within sight of the Lafarge cement plant. Since Halloween, they have complained about a mysterious powdery substance coating their cars, playgrounds, and homes. A substance that is not easy to wash off. The CAC has to wonder what this gritty dust does to the lungs of those that breathe it in? For more on this story, please watch News10.