“Burning high-sulfur heating oil spews pollution into the air that can trigger asthma attacks and impact lung function. The State Senate deserves credit for passing a bill that will require the home heating oil sold in New York to meet the same sulfur levels as the ultra low sulfur diesel used by trucks, dramatically reducing pollution. In New York City, which has asthma rates consistently higher than the national average, this bill would reduce sulfur levels from 2,000 parts per million to just 15 parts per million. This switch, which has minor implementation costs, is one of the 127 initiatives in PlaNYC, our long-term plan for a greener, greater New York. I would like to thank Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson and Senator Bill Perkins for their leadership on this bill. I encourage the Assembly, which has already passed a similar bill, to pass an identical measure, and for the Governor to sign it into law.”