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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 057-08
February 19, 2008

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION REQUIRING CREATION OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

"The first of four bills before me today is Introductory Number 630-A, sponsored by Council Members Gennaro, Brewer, Fidler, Gentile, Gonzalez, James, Koppell, McMahon, Nelson, Recchia, Reyna, Sanders, Stewart, Weprin, Liu, Mark-Viverito, White, Eugene, Sears, Katz and Garodnick.  This bill requires the City to create a stormwater management plan.

"For more than two centuries, New Yorkers dumped garbage, oil and other industrial waste into our rivers.  For decades, stretches of riverfront sat largely abandoned while pollution seeped deeper into the soils and surrounding water.  Today, our rivers are experiencing a renaissance, and we are improving our water quality to reclaim our waterways for public use.  Our Administration is committed to addressing the quality of our surrounding waters and to reducing combined sewer overflows.  Various PlaNYC initiatives are directed at this problem, including completing our long term control plans, protecting wetlands, and piloting new stormwater techniques. 

"Introductory Number 630-A requires the City to conduct a thorough study of stormwater best management practices, determine the estimated costs and benefits of each practice, and provide a stormwater management plan for implementation.

"In the coming decades, we must challenge ourselves to creatively reclaim our waterways for public use.  Introductory Number 630-A compliments our PlaNYC water quality goals by requiring a study that will identify prerequisites for the successful implementation of a stormwater management plan.

"I would like to thank Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd, Director of Long Term Planning and Sustainability Rit Aggarwala, and all the agency staff who worked on this bill.  I would also like to thank the Council for approving this legislation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Matthew Kelly   (212) 788-2958




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