Riverkeeper champions clean water legislation in Albany
For immediate release: March 7, 2017
Contact: Cliff Weathers, Communications Director
914-478-4501, ext. 239; [email protected]
ALBANY, NY — Riverkeeper, New York’s Clean Water Advocate, will set out to Albany this week to meet with state legislators to support Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed $2 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act and the legislature’s proposed $5 billion Clean Water Bond Act for the 2017-2018 fiscal budget.
“These initiatives, together, would constitute an investment in clean water not seen in our state in a half century,” says Dan Shapley, Riverkeeper’s Water Quality Program Director. “We know from our own testing data — and from Newburgh’s drinking water crisis — how essential these investments are to restore and protect water quality.”
Riverkeeper will be accompanied by a group of municipal, small business and recreational users in the Hudson Valley region.
“We all need clean water, and our small businesses are no exception. Whether making beer or bread or showcasing our world class scenery by kayak, tube or tour boat, these businesses know that high-quality water is the basis for their success.” says Shapley.
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About Clean Water Infrastructure Act. Proposed as part of the FY17-18 NYS Budget by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the $2 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act would provide funding over five years for water infrastructure, drinking source water protection, emergency response to contaminated drinking water supplies and related initiatives.
About Clean Water Bond Act. Proposed by the NYS Legislature, the $5 billion Clean Water Bond Act would provide funding for water infrastructure, drinking source water protection, and other related activities. It would require approval by voters in a referendum in November 2017.
