Stay Safe and End PPE Pollution!

If you’ve ventured out to a grocery store of late, you’ve likely seen a form of pollution that has become increasingly prevalent during the coronavirus pandemic—gloves, wipes, and masks littered in parking lots and throughout our communities.  Preliminary data from surveys shows that gloves are the most commonly littered Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) being found in the United States. 

Not only is this a potential health threat to those that may clean up the discarded PPE, it is creating an additional plastic pollution problem.  Gloves, masks, and wipes are all typically made with plastic. Just like plastic bags, food packaging, and straws; plastic PPE that are improperly disposed of threaten our waterways and wildlife.  Plastic does not biodegrade; instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces over time and eventually becomes microplastic pollution in our waters.  Once microplastics enter our waterways, they act as toxic sponges, accumulating toxic chemicals present in the water, including pesticides and PCBs. Microplastics have been shown to accumulate toxins a million times higher than the surrounding waters. Studies show that when fish and aquatic life consume these microplastics, the chemicals are passed up the food chain to larger fish and wildlife, and ultimately, can end up on our dinner plates. 

PPE are intended to help us fight a public health threat, not create a plastic pollution problem. So what to do if you want to be safe during the pandemic while also protecting the environment?

1)     DO NOT litter: This should go without saying, but given what we’re seeing, it definitely needs to be said.  Don’t let your used PPE become litter!  Most stores have garbage cans located just outside.  Due to this growing problem, many stores now even have signage to “DISPOSE OF YOUR PPE HERE,” making proper disposal even easier.  Another option is bring a small bag or container with you to put your used PPE into, and then throw it out when you get home (in a tightly closed garbage bag).

2)     DO NOT put PPE in your curbside recycling bin: As much as we love to recycle, when it comes to PPE, avoid “wish-cycling”.  While PPE items are often made of plastic, these materials cannot be disposed of in curbside recycling bins.  Your PPE can potentially be contaminated, which puts sanitation workers that sift through recyclable items at risk. 

Furthermore, just like plastic bags, plastic gloves can jam recycling machinery, leading to damage and delays.  We are already experiencing a solid waste crisis in this country, and causing costly and timely delays at recycling facilities only exacerbates our current recycling and solid waste woes.

There are a couple other things to consider when it comes to using plastic/rubber gloves.  We’re not doctors or infectious disease experts at CCE, so we look to those experts for some important recommendations:

 1)      Public health experts recommend that members of the public don’t wear gloves when venturing out to the grocery store. If you want to wear gloves, there is nothing inherently wrong with that, but unfortunately most people aren’t wearing or disposing of their gloves correctly.  There may be a tiny rip in the glove, you could put them on or remove them incorrectly, and using gloves could give you a false sense of safety, leading to you touching your face and causing self-contamination.

According the Cleveland Clinic, the best bet for staying safe at the store is to avoid touching your face or phone, practice social distancing, limit the amount of surfaces you touch, wear a face mask (and don’t mess with it once it’s on), sanitize your hands as soon as you get into the car, and wash your hands thoroughly when you get home.

By skipping the plastic gloves when you go to the store, not only can you take precautions to stay safe, you can reduce your use of single-use plastics!

2)      Public health experts urge you not to reuse your gloves.  As environmentalists, we are constantly encouraging reuse of products—but NOT when it comes to these plastic gloves!  Removing gloves or putting them back on without contaminating your hand or the glove is difficult.  Washing your gloves is also not recommended by health professionals.  These gloves are intended to be single-use. Washing gloves can compromise their integrity, and cause them to develop tiny rips that can lead to exposure to viruses (while luring the user into a false sense of security, and potentially touching their face before washing their hands).

Together, we can take precautions to keep ourselves safe during this public health crisis, while also protecting the health of our environment.  Long after COVID-19 is gone, we’ll still need clean water and a healthy environment.

Good News for New York: Victories for Our Environment in the 2020-21 State Budget

Good news can be very hard to find these days.  That’s why we take great pleasure in taking
an opportunity to highlight some very good news.  The New York State budget, which was passed in early April, has provided some major victories for New York’s environment and public health.  Furthermore, the investments being made now through the budget will create good jobs and help to rebuild a sustainable economy in the years to come.

CCE priorities in the final budget include:

$3 Billion Environmental Bond Act: This funding will help our communities become more resilient to the challenging impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, sea level rise, drought, and extreme heat, as well as restoring natural systems and protecting clean water for all New Yorkers.  The bond act will also help to create good-paying jobs and rebuild our economy at a time when we need it the most.

While we celebrate the approval of the bond act in the budget, it is important to
note that it will also need to be approved by the voters in November.  New York has not proposed an environmental bond act since 1996. The 96’ Clean Water Clean Air Bond Act was soundly approved by the voters, leading to over two decades of increased environmental protections and sustainable economic development across New York State.  Come November of this year, New York voters will once again have an opportunity to go to the polls and support a bond act that will make lasting environmental improvements for our state!

$500 million for clean water infrastructure: Increased investments in drinking water infrastructure helps our communities provide clean drinking water to residents, install technology to treat drinking water for new and emerging contaminants that are being discovered in water sources across the state (e.g. PFOA, PFOS, & 1,4-dioxane), and keep drinking water affordable.  Investments in wastewater infrastructure help to reduce harmful sewage overflows, which cause beaches to close, hurt local economies, kill fish and wildlife, and put public health at risk. 

This new allocation of $500 million is in addition to the five-year, $2.5 billion investment from 2017, as well as an additional $500 million from last year.  These investments are going a long way in addressing New York’s enormous clean water infrastructure needs, while also driving economic development and creating jobs. It is estimated that every billion dollars invested in water infrastructure creates approximately 29,000 jobs!

Funding the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) at $300 million: Since 1993, the EPF has been New York’s most important source of environmental funding, benefiting every community in the state from Western New York to the eastern tip of Long Island. EPF projects protect drinking water, build community parks, save family farms, bolster recycling programs, revitalize waterfronts, and so much more.  The EPF has played a critical role in preserving open space throughout New York.  The importance of open space protection is as important as ever, as New Yorkers look for opportunities to get out of the house and go outside while maintaining safe social distancing. Furthermore, open space protection has proved to be an economic driver—research has shown that for every $1 of EPF funds invested in land conservation, $7 in goods and services is returned to NYS.

Ban on Styrofoam food packaging and packaging peanuts: Styrofoam litters our communities and pollutes our waters. Styrofoam containers are one of the most prevalent items found during beach cleanups. These containers don’t biodegrade; instead they break down into tiny microplastics that eventually pollute our waterways.  

Styrofoam is also a threat to our health.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program listed styrene, a chemical in EPS foam, as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” It is known to leach from food packaging containers into food and drinks, especially when exposed to heat. There is no need to continue using this antiquated product when safe and environmentally friendly alternatives are readily available.

Permanent ban on fracking: While Governor Cuomo wisely instituted a regulatory ban on fracking in 2015, this permanent ban—established in law—will help ensure the dangerous process of fracking for gas will not be taken up by future administrations.

Streamlined renewable energy siting:  In 2019, New York State passed the strongest climate bill in the nation, known as the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Among other important mandates, the law requires 70% of our electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2030, a carbon-free electrical grid by 2040, and net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Meeting these critical mandates will require significantly ramping up large-scale renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar.  Regrettably, our current process for siting renewable energy projects is broken, with construction of a project taking 5-10 years, or worse, developers simply walking away from some projects after excessive delays. The new policy enacted in the budget will help a backlog of renewable energy projects move forward in a timely manner, while allowing for local community input and ensuring strong environmental protections. This important policy is essential for New York to meet our clean energy and climate goals!

These victories did not happen with luck or by accident; they took hard work and leadership. Despite difficult circumstances and working remotely, our dedicated staff has continued to work tirelessly to fight for our environmental priorities.  Elected officials, who are working around the clock to address urgent needs related to the COVID-19 public health crisis, did not let that important responsibility distract them from also addressing key environmental issues.  Special thanks go out to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Todd Kaminsky, and Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for their leadership to ensure environmental priorities were included in the final budget. And last, but certainly not least, we thank you.  CCE’s strength has always come from you—members of the public—to give us our grassroots power.  Writing letters, sending emails, making phone calls, and more—all ensured that our elected officials kept important environmental issues at the forefront during budget negotiations.

While we celebrate full funding for our priority programs, we also remain grounded in the reality of our current situation, and recognize that adjustments may be made as the financial situation worsens throughout the year in New York State. We will remain vigilant in supporting these critical environmental programs, and will keep you informed every step of the way!

2019 Connecticut Post Session Recap: Big Wins and Missed Opportunities for Protecting Connecticut’s Environment

2019 proved to be another rollercoaster ride for Connecticut’s Environment. We achieved some major victories, finished work on several multi-year campaigns, and also watched the CGA come up short on some key bills—and we did it all together! Now that the dust has settled, we look back on the highlights and missed opportunities (until next session!) of the 2019 Connecticut regular legislative session. But first, let’s cover the good news:

 VICTORY: CT State Water Plan is approved!

 After five years of hard work, public education and advocacy, the State Water Plan has been approved by the General Assembly! With unanimous passage of House Resolution 171, Connecticut has a comprehensive water management plan, which will help ensure our State’s current and future water supply needs are met equitably and effectively for years to come.

The final plan was approved unchanged, with language recognizing water as a public trust resource intact! Thanks to the CT Water Planning Council and the Office of Governor Ned Lamont for helping to get this plan across the finish line! #WaterisaPublicTrust

 VICTORY: Connecticut passes 10 cent bag charge/2 year phaseout on plastic checkout bags!

WE DID IT!! Thanks to all your calls and emails, Connecticut will completely eliminate pollution from single-use plastic bags by 2021! The General Assembly passed a 10 cent fee on single-use plastic checkout bags as part of their biennium budget, which goes into effect in July of 2019. After August 1, 2021 no retail or grocery store in the state will be permitted to distribute plastic bags at the checkout counter.

The bill also allows municipalities with existing bag ordinances to keep their bans in place, while enabling towns to establish their own fees on paper checkout bags. This makes Connecticut the third state in the nation to take action by banning or phasing-out plastic checkout bags, after California and New York (Hawaii has a de facto ban, as all 5 counties have banned plastic bags independently).

 Thanks to the Environment Committee leadership, especially Sen. Christine Cohen and Rep. Mike Demicco for getting this done! Special shoutouts to Senators William Haskell, Alex Bergstein and Matthew Lesser, as well as Reps Jonathan Steinberg, David Michel, and Josh Elliott for championing this important policy!

 VICTORY: Connecticut passes PERMANENT ban on hazardous fracking waste!

 The CGA passed SB 753 with overwhelming bi-partisan support, which permanently prohibits the storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous fracking waste and frack-waste byproducts in Connecticut! CCE began fighting to ban fracking waste in Connecticut in 2012 and was instrumental in passage of a statewide moratorium on fracking waste in 2014. Since then, more than 55 CT municipalities have passed their own local bans on fracking waste, helping to put pressure on Hartford lawmakers to close our doors to hazardous, potentially radioactive fracking waste for good!

 VICTORY: Connecticut expands clean energy programs, including offshore wind and solar!

 The general assembly passed two important clean energy bills this year including HB 7156- an act mandating 2,000 MW of offshore wind procurement by 2030, and HB 5002 (aka the “New Green Economy” package), which extends existing renewable energy programs (including traditional net metering, LREC/ZRECs, and the Green Bank’s Residential Solar Investment Program). The bill also increases the amount of credits authorized under the state’s virtual net metering program from $10 million to $20 million for the biennium.

 Missed Opportunities in 2019:

 HB 7294: Modernizing Connecticut’s Bottle Bill- This legislation would have expanded the state’s container deposit law to include juices, teas, sports drinks and other non-carbonated beverages, in addition to raising the deposit value on covered containers from 5 to 10 cents. The bill received favorable reports from the Environment and Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committees, but was held up by House leadership due to aggressive lobbying from the beverage industry.

HB 7346: An Act Prohibiting Chlorpyrifos Pesticides- This bill would have prohibited toxic organophosphate pesticides from use in agricultural and commercial settings. The bill received a favorable report from the Environment and Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committees but was held up by House leadership due to aggressive lobbying from the CT Farm Bureau.

 HB 5910: Prohibiting the Use of PFAS in Certain Firefighting Foams- This bill would have prohibited the use of firefighting foams containing Per and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances for training purposes. The bill was given a fiscal note showing a cost to the state of about $78K in fiscal year ’20 and about $80K in fy ’21, and no action was taken on the bill by the Appropriations Committee.

 HB 5999: Improving Pesticide Regulation and Enforcement in Connecticut- HB 5999 would have established a pesticide enforcement account, funded through product registrations and applicator certification fees. The bill would have also required electronic filing and record keeping at the DEEP Pesticide Program office. The bill received favorable reports from the Environment and Finance, Revenue & Bonding Committees, but was not taken up for a vote in the House.

HB 5384: An Act Prohibiting Polystyrene Containers- This legislation would have prohibited the distribution of single-use polystyrene cups and takeout containers by restaurants and caterers in Connecticut. The bill passed the House of Reps and died in the Senate at the hands of Republican Senator Heather Somers, who loaded the bill with amendments exempting so-called “compostable” plastic checkout bags from the bag ban.

 HB 5385: An Act Prohibiting Single-Use Plastic Straws- This legislation would have established a “soft ban” on single-use plastic straws and stirrers at restaurants and food-service establishments, where proprietors would be permitted to give out plastic straws upon request only. The bill received a favorable report in the Environment Committee, and was put on hold due to filibuster threats and not acted upon by the House.

 HB 5395: An Act Strengthening Connecticut’s Environmental Justice Law- This bill would have strengthened requirements for meaningful public engagement when permitting sewage treatment plants, power plants, solid waste management and other polluting facilities in designated Environmental Justice communities. The bill passed the House of Reps and died in the Senate at the hands of Republican Senator Heather Somers, who loaded the bill with amendments exempting so-called “compostable” plastic checkout bags from the bag ban.