As a result of this pollution, New Yorkers are struggling to breathe. According to the NYC Department of Health, 1,000,000 City residents, 300,000 of whom are children, are suffering from asthma. Moreover, recent research has shown that children in Harlem have over a 25% incidence of asthma, the highest in the nation. And, these levels of asthma carry a significant financial burden – over billion was spent for asthma hospitalizations in 2000 alone.

Recognizing the state of NYC’s air quality, the City Council is currently considering several bills that aim to curb pollution from fleets of vehicles throughout the City. If passed into law and properly enforced, these measures will represent a significant step forward for the City’s air quality and the health of City residents.The League is asking the Council to pass the following bills:

Int. 0414-2004, which requires the City to purchase the cleanest vehicle possible for its intended use and to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by 10% by July 1, 2010.

Int. 0415-2004, which requires the City to purchase Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel and install emission control devices on its diesel-powered vehicles.

Int. 0416-2004, which requires the City to purchase cleaner garbage trucks, install emission controls on the existing fleet and use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.

Int. 0417-2004, which requires the sight seeing bus operators to use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel and emission control technologies.

Int. 0428-2004, which requires the City to contract for cleaner school buses, have school bus providers install emission controls on their existing fleet and use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.

2. Will you co-sponsor all of these bills? If not please explain your position.

Yes, I will be a proud co-sponsor of the above mentioned bills, and, if possible, and in partnership with the environmental community, I will advocate for even stronger requirements.

I feel that we can do more, New York City can be an innovative and leader in the green fuel revolution. As I mentioned in my answer to question number 1, bio-diesel fuel is a promising technology that demands further research and pilot implementation.

The environmental advocates in the Hunt’s Point neighborhood of my community have worked with the creative folks at www.biotour.org to raise awareness about fossil fuels and alternative technologies on their garbage tours of the area.

I will be a strong supporter and advocate for the "greenest" technologies available and link public and private sectors to forge creative alliances that improve our air quality and our children’s health.

Each year, 3.7 million pounds of pesticides are applied by commercial applicators in New York City. While City residents are trying to improve the conditions within their homes and workplaces, they are actually exposing themselves to a significant health risk. Many commonly used pesticides are known to cause neurological disorders, endocrine disruption and cancer. And some of the more acutely toxic pesticides can cause seizures and death.

Fortunately, there are safe methods to deal with pests. Numerous programs in New York City have demonstrated that non-toxic and least-toxic alternatives are actually more effective than using pesticides. These programs utilize an integrated approach which includes sealing cracks and holes, fixing leaks and improving sanitation.

With the success of these programs, the City must change its practices. Currently, there is a bill before the City Council that requires City agencies to stop using the most acutely toxic pesticides, to institute non-toxic pest control approaches wherever such alternatives are available, and to use the least-toxic pesticides in all other cases. Additionally, a second bill before the City Council will require NYC to "opt in" to New York States Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law. This law requires commercial pesticide applicators to provide 48-hour advance notice, in writing, to adjoining properties prior to spraying pesticides and requires homeowners to post markings when they apply pesticides themselves. For the health of City residents, it is imperative that the City passes these bills into law.

The League asking the Council to pass the following bills: Intro. 0328-2004 which would require New York City to participate in the State Neighbor Notification Law.

Intro. 0329-2004 which would require the City to use safer, alternative pesticides and also create an interagency task force to identify pesticide use by City agencies and plan for reductions.

3. Will you co-sponsor both of these bills? If not please explain your position.

It is clear that we are hurting ourselves by the continual use of chemicals and pesticides that are proven to cause us harm and that the City Council can do more on this issue.

In New York City, the No Spray Coalition website information shows, pesticides used in the West Nile Virus campaign were linked to short- and long-term respiratory problems, immune and nervous system disruption, cancer, and reproductive and learning dis-orders.

In addition, state and federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), are encouraging the public to use mosquito repellents containing DEET. DEET has been linked to various health problems and should not be recommended when safer options are available.

As a City Council Member I will work to expose government neglect and misinformation and ensure that New York City is in the lead of the Green Revolution.

I will support the above mentioned bills, and again be a friend of my neighborhood and of the environmental community because I know that the people I represent will be significantly impacted by every aspect of our environment. As reported in Beyond Pesticides, residents of low-income, minority communities in urban areas, whose asthma rates have been growing disproportionately for the past 20 years due to air pollution and sub-standard sanitation conditions, are being exposed to an asthma trigger through pesticide spraying in and around their homes.

In a Daily News article on May 29, 2003, Beyond Pesticides reported that according to a study presented at the American Thoracic Society on May 21, 2003, exposures beginning in the first year of life to insects, dust, outdoor air quality factors, weed killers, and insecticides, are linked to early asthma development. It is a widely accepted fact that children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems are much more susceptible to pesticide poisoning than others.

In addition, I will work with my colleagues in the City Council to identify and implement creative approaches to the pesticide problem. I appreciate the Grassroots Healthy Lawn Program that will help protect the health of Westchester County residents by reducing their exposure to pesticides, particularly those used on lawns, with funding from the private sector at no cost to the taxpayer. I will work to identify similar opportunities for New York City Public housing residents where non-lawn pesticide applications can cause health challenges.

I appreciate the multi-lateral approach that could include working with local exterminators to establish and sustain a non-toxic alternative program that they can offer to their customers, encouraging merchants, from Home Depot to local garden stores, to carry and promote a full line of non-toxic lawn and garden products, and educating the public about the inherent dangers of pesticides and the safe alternatives. This could be part of discussions and requirements when stores come before their Community Board or the City Council for review or approval.

If the City for some reason engages in another large scale spray campaign, I would be interested in exploring the possibility of exploring a pre-notification of any pesticide spraying for mosquitoes by utilizing a reverse 911 phone system as has been done in the upstate New near Syracuse.

Using such a system, residents in the affected areas can receive a telephone call with a pre-recorded message that states where and at what time spraying will commence, precautionary measures residents should take to reduce risks of exposure to the pesticides, and the Health Department’s phone number for additional information.

With 80% of the City’s electricity required to be produced within the five boroughs, energy consumed by buildings translates directly into increased pollution. Further compounding the problem, City buildings generally rely on either oil or natural gas for heat. In addition, building materials often release hazardous toxins which degrade indoor air quality and harm human health.

Through green construction methods, it is possible to reduce the health and environmental impacts of buildings.

The United States Green Building Council has developed a green building rating system known as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The LEED system takes into account sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Today, several green buildings are rising in NYC, including the new skyscraper being built for Bank of America by the Durst Organization. The City must take steps to ensure that all new construction, and significant renovations, follows green construction guidelines.

The League asking the Council to pass the following bills: Int.0324-2003, "Requirements for High Performance Buildings", which would apply green building standards to existing and new city-owned buildings throughout the city.

Int. 0438-2004 which would require green building permit applications to be expedited.

4. Will you co-sponsor both of these bills? If not please explain your position.

When we create and build new housing, or renovate existing structures, every possible effort should be made to implement green building design and technologies.

As Council Member, I will work with my colleagues to fund innovative projects that implement photo-voltaic, green roof, wind mill and similar technologies.

As the Council Member of the 17th District my office will work with the private sector and the Department of Education to create a Green Roofs initiative for the schools ion my community.

By bringing the state of the art in solar panel and roof gardening technologies to our young people, we will be fostering the environmentalists, architects and builders of the future to be even more green.

When we create new housing, I don’t believe that it needs to come at the cost of the environment, at the cost of green open space and community gardens.

In this regard I will again distinguish myself from the previous Council Member and his staff in that the preservation of existing gardens and green spaces will be a priority, not an after thought.

I will be a supporter of creative solutions the housing and open space priorities, as was put forward by the community with advocates from More Gardens and the Municipal Art Society.

When we can legally raise building levels without adversely affecting the neighborhood quality and retain long standing gardens, then that is the path we should take.