TAKE ACTION: Help Us Pass Key New York State Environmental Justice Legislation

The New York State legislature is in session until June 6, and in addition to the NY HEAT Act, there are three other key bills that we need your urgent help convincing the State Legislature in Albany to pass!
 

• Lead Paint Right to Know Act: New York State leads the nation in cases of children with elevated blood levels. That is why we need to pass the Lead Paint Right to Know Act (S.2353/A.4820) by June 6, as it will require disclosure of lead paint test reports in all real estate transactions so families can know whether their new home has lead paint: Send an Email to Albany
• Beauty Justice Act: Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to serious health issues like cancer. That is why we need to pass the Beauty Justice Act (S.4265/A.6969) by June 6, as it will ban most of these substances in New York State. Here are three ways you can help: Send an Email to Albany
• Enhanced Public Participation Act
  New York State's Enhanced Public Participation Act (S.2510A/A.6584A) requires applicants for major polluting projects looking to site in or near a disadvantaged community to submit an enhanced public participation plan for community engagement, giving communities like ours a voice in whether polluting facilities are built in our neighborhood. That is why we need to pass it by June 6, and here is how you can help: Send an Email to Albany

TAKE ACTION: Demand the City Fund Environmental Justice in the 2025 Budget

The climate crisis and other environmental hazards have proven tremendously costly for New York City, in terms of lives and livelihoods as well as damage to infrastructure and the communities where we live. There is an urgent need to make substantial, strategic investments in climate and environmental issues across New York City agencies to mitigate future impacts of the climate crisis and prevent environmental racism.

Advocating for Environmental Justice on Capitol Hill

Our Federal Policy Office organized a Capitol Hill lobby day this week for environmental justice organizations from across the nation to meet with congressional leaders about the urgent need to help folks in public and affordable housing with health hazards from fossil fuel appliances, lead, pests and mold, and the dire need to transition communities to clean, affordable, and equitable electric sources. WE ACT teamed up with other environmental justice organizations including Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition from Michigan, PODER from Texas, Action in Montgomery from Maryland, South Bronx Unite from New York, Partnership for Southern Equity from Georgia, and GreenRoots from Massachusetts. 

WATCH: New Yorkers Send Support for the Beauty Justice Act

We're in the final stretch of the New York State legislative session, and we're pushing hard to get the Beauty Justice Act over the finish line. This week, Briana Carbajal dropped off over 200 postcards with messages in support of the bill from New Yorkers across the state. The postcards were delivered to the offices of Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Please join us by sending your own email here!

Looking for NJ/NY Organizations to Support In-Person Outreach for WE ACT TCTAC

Our Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC) is helping organizations in EPA Region 2 access federal funding opportunities to advance environmental justice. To improve in-person outreach throughout New Jersey and New York, we are building a network of community outreach voices: WE ACT TCTAC Community Voices. Organizations participating in the WE ACT TCTAC Community Voices cohort will meet throughout the two-year partnership to determine regional priorities regarding environmental justice, climate justice, and energy justice, which will inform a Regional Environmental Justice Network in subsequent years of this project.

TCTAC Community Voices will also receive equitable compensation for participation. We encourage you to learn more here (PDF) and complete the WE ACT TCTAC Community Voices Application Form by Friday, May 31. Please direct any questions to the WE ACT TCTAC team at [email protected] with the subject TCTAC Community Voices Application.

WE ACT Hosted Space for Uptowners to Hear from Their Primary Candidates

We hosted three candidate forums last week ahead of the June 25 Primary Election in New York State. We heard from candidates for New York State Assembly Districts 69, 70, 71, and 72 which together cover all of Northern Manhattan. Primary elections are especially important in New York City because candidates sometimes run unopposed in the general election, meaning the primary election is the best opportunity to elect the best champions for environmental justice that we can. Check out the replays of the District 71/72 forum and District 70 forum (pictured above and below, and co-hosted with Marcus Meets Malcolm along with Indivisible Harlem, Mount Morris Park Community Improvement Association, and NAACP Mid-Manhattan Branch) to learn about the candidates.

Help Your Uptown Community Prepare for Climate Change 

Do you work with an organization in Northern Manhattan? WE ACT is bringing back our award-winning Climate Ready Uptown Plan Workshops, and we would love to host one for your members! We’ll be doing workshops all summer long at member-based community organizations based Uptown. At these workshops, we will distribute the Climate Ready Uptown Plan - an interactive pamphlet that helps Northern Manhattan community members understand their individual risk to climate-related disasters – specifically extreme heat and flooding. And we’ll educate participants on the basics of extreme weather and disaster preparedness.

If you or your organization is interested, please fill out the form and we'll be in touch with details!

APPLY TODAY: Cooling Assistance Helps Eligible Households Buy and Install an Air Conditioner or Fan

Click here to see if you are eligible for financial support to cover the cost and installation of an air conditioner or fan in your home. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so act today because funding for this program has run out in July the last two years!

• TCTAC: Alison Mitchell of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation wrote an Op-Ed in the Trentonian about a New Jersey League of Conservation Voters panel discussion on federal funding available to fight climate change. Jordana Vanderselt was one of the panelists, and the opinion piece quotes her and explains how our TCTAC can help local organizations secure federal funding for environmental and climate justice work. The piece also appeared in the Burlington County Times and the Bergen County Record. 
• Candidates Forum: Ariama Long did a great overview in the New York Amsterdam News of our Candidates Forum for New York State Assembly District 70, including how the candidates would approach challenges like getting the NY HEAT Act through the chamber. Early voting for this race starts on June 15, which is also the last day to register to vote!

Department of Justice Listening Sessions

The Justice Department (DOJ) is hosting 2 virtual public listening sessions to gather input for the development of the Department’s Environmental Justice Strategic Plan. DOJ’s draft Environmental Justice Strategic Plan includes goals to "prioritize cases, meaningfully engage with impacted communities, increase education and collaboration, and assess and evaluate environmental justice in the Justice Department’s climate adaptation efforts." And they need to hear from you! Join a virtual listening session on May 29 or May 30 to tell them what your community needs for environmental justice. 

Uptown Chats: Celebrating Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Environmental Justice

It’s not too late to listen to the special election episode of Pamela Stewart-Martinez about the upcoming New York State Primary Election on June 25, but we wanted to let you know that Jaron and Lonnie spoke with AJ Yuan, our Federal Policy Legislative Coordinator, about the role of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in the environmental justice movement as we honor Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. The new episode will be up on Monday, which is a holiday, but that just means you have more time to listen to our Uptown Chats podcast!

Micaela, Live on Stage!

Dr. Micaela Martinez will be one of the storytellers at the Story Collider’s fourth annual Proton Prom at 7:30 PM on Monday, June 10 at Caveat, a subterranean cabaret located at 21A Clinton Street, just south of Houston, in Manhattan. The event is described as “a night of light fare, drinks, and festivities celebrating our favorite stories and storytellers.” Tickets are $40, but you can also opt to livestream the event for $25.