Statement from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on the EPA’s Proposed Rejection of New York’s Petition on Interstate Smog Pollution
“This week’s proposal by Trump’s EPA to deny New York State’s petition to address pollution from upwind states is just one more example of this administration’s full frontal assault on our environment and public health. Air pollution does not respect state borders, so while we are implementing nation-leading air quality standards in New York State, we cannot solve this problem alone.
“That is why I directed the Department of Environmental Conservation to file this petition in March 2018 in hopes of the EPA finally enforcing requirements on polluters in upwind states to do their fair share and limit the pollution impacting our air quality. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration, once again, proved they do not care what kind of air we are leaving our kids and grandkids to breathe and announced their proposed decision to deny New York State’s petition.
“New York is leading the fight to protect public health and combat climate change, leaving a better planet for the future generations. Not only have we launched a Green New Deal that sets the ambitious goal of putting our state on the path to economy-wide carbon neutrality, we have committed to ending the use of coal in the state by 2020. Today’s announcement that the Department of Environmental Conservation has adopted final regulations to require all power plants in the state to meet new emissions limits for carbon dioxide is a major step towards making this promise a reality.
“This administration will do everything in our power to fight back against this week’s egregious decision. We are not just talking about ideas in New York – we are putting them into action, and we need the federal government to step up and do its part.”