It was a HUGE conference that completely filled the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY with booths, exhibits, workshops and presentations.  The legendary Dick Gregory (a founding AAEA board member) was the keynote speaker and Rev Al Sharpton conducted a church service.                        

 

AAEA participated in the Environmental Justice workshop on the "Politics Behind Power Plant  Siting." sponsored by Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr.  New York City has one of the highest asthma rates in the country and power plants are a major source of respiratory irritants.  Almost all of the proposals for new power plants in New York State over the past few years have been in or are adjacent to neighborhoods with a high concentration of Blacks and Latinos.  The workshop focused on strategies communities of color can adopt to abate the serious problem of environmental injustice, while at the same time creating more effective laws to fight this pending issue.  The workshop also included a discussion about reauthorizing and reforming Article X of the Public Service Law. Article X is the New York State power plant facility siting/permit law. It expired on Jan 1, 2003 and the state is currently without a licensing statute. 

 

Harlem and the South Bronx have several power plants along a strip of mostly minority blocks that provide electricity for New York City. Environmental activists and city lawmakers blame emissions from the plants, among other mobile sources, for high asthma and emphysema rates among local residents. In the South Bronx, four power facilities are located within two miles of each other and two of them are side by side. Current laws that trigger greater community input for any plants of 80 megawatts or more were avoided because the adjacent plants are 79.9 megawatts..

 

There was a spirited discussion about the Indian Point nuclear power plant, particularly between AAEA President Norris McDonald and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (a leading advocate for closure of the plant).  McDonald noted that the Indian Point nuclear facility is a benefit from an environmental justice perspective.

 

The panel was facilitated by Camile Rivera, Environmental Justice Coordinator, NYPIRG and panelists included Asemblyman Richard L. Brodsky-Chairman, Corporations, Authorities & Commissions, Assemblyman Michael N. Gianaris, David Hahn-Baker, President, Inside/Outside Political Consultants, Lisa Garcia, Environmental Lawyer, NYPIRG, Rosa Mendez, East River Environmental Coalition and AAEA President Norris McDonald. (Feb 15, 2003)