LED BY ABINANTI, COUNTY BOARD PASSES GROUNDBREAKING BILL MANDATING ULTRA LOW SULFUR FUEL - THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF “HEALTHY AIR BILLS”

From Left to Right: Chairman Bill Ryan, Lillian Jones (American Cancer Society), Legislator Mike Kaplowitz, Carolyn Cunningham (Federated Conservationists of Westchester County), Emmett Pepper (Citizens Campaign for the Environment), and Legislator Tom Abinanti

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 6, 2006

Contact: Thomas J. Abinanti
Tel: (914) 328-9000 or (914) 995-2821

Westchester County Legislator Thomas J. Abinanti (D, I, WF- Greenburgh), chair of the Legislature’s Committee on the Environment & Energy, tonight led the full Board in a unanimous vote that will now mandate any diesel powered “on-road” and “non-road” vehicles operated by the County or county contractors to use ultra low sulfur diesel fuel and the best available anti-pollution technology.

“More and more children are suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases. Our air fails federal standards,” said the Greenburgh lawmaker. “It’s our air, we have to protect it.”

This bill was the result of a yearlong, intensive review of Westchester’s air quality by the “Healthy Air Task Force”.

Abinanti created the Healthy Air Task Force in August 2004 to provide the Environment Committee with proposals for County legislation that would reduce particulate matter and other harmful carcinogens that are polluting Westchester’s air. The Healthy Air Task Force, chaired by Cesare Manfredi, consists of members of the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and Environmental Defense, along with Abinanti, fellow lawmaker and immediate past chair of the Environment Committee Legislator Michael B. Kaplowitz (D-I-WF, Somers) and Chairman of the Board Bill Ryan (D-I-WF, White Plains).

“The members of the Healthy Air Task Force worked diligently with our committee and deserve to be commended,” said Kaplowitz. “I’m pleased this bill passed with bi-partisan support, as everyone in Westchester will benefit from it.”

“I want to commend Legislator Abinanti and the other members of the Task Force. It was a long process and an enormous effort, but they managed to produce a landmark piece of legislation,” said Ryan. “This measure is part of the Board’s on going efforts to ensure cleaner air throughout the County.”

Also tonight, the Board set a public hearing for another of the Task Force bills that, if passed, would reduce the allowable idling time in Westchester for all diesel trucks and busses from 5 minutes to 3 minutes, and a bill from the County Executive mandating cell phone recycling. The public hearing is set for 4:30pm on Wednesday, February 15th.

The final measure in Abinanti’s “Healthy Air Bills” series would prohibit the continued distribution of fuels with high sulfur content for heating and hot water production purposes, and is scheduled for discussion later this year.

“These bills are vital to improving the air quality in Westchester and improving the health of our children,” said Abinanti.