Assemblyman Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) was commended today by the Environmental Advocates of New York for his continued commitment to protecting our environment and preserving New York’s natural resources., Among the state’s top government watchdog groups, Environmental Advocates just released its list of state legislators who voted in support of all four environmental “Super Bills” favored by the organization.
“Since first being elected mayor of Tivoli, one of my top priorities has been to preserve a clean, healthy environment for my family and yours,” said Molinaro. “As an Assemblyman, I remain committed to supporting measures that preserve open space, reduce pollution, and wean our nation’s dependency on foreign oil by exploring alternative fuels. I look forward to continuing to work with the Environmental Advocates, the League of Conservation Voters and other “green” advocates to improve the quality of life for all our state residents.”
To protect the environment and help preserve the state’s natural resources for future generations of New Yorkers, Molinaro helped pass four bills this year marked as priorities by Environmental Advocates in the effort to protect the environment and promote the use, availability and creation of green technologies. The legislation includes:
- Wetlands Protection Act to improve the preservation and protection of New York state’s wetlands;
- Net Metering Reform Bill to expand net metering eligibility to non-residential customer classes, as well as significantly increase the size of renewable energy systems that can be installed;
- Pollution Cap to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from cars, homes, schools and other sources by 80 percent by 2050; and
- Bigger Better Bottle Bill to improve and update the state’s recycling program.
In addition to supporting these pieces of legislation, Molinaro has an extensive pro-environment record. This year alone the Assemblyman sponsored mandatory well testing, reestablishing the bio-heat tax credit and the New York Electronic Recycling & Reuse Act. Molinaro has also secured funding for both the Dutchess and Columbia Land Conservancies and adamantly opposed the taking of funds from the Environmental Protection Fund.
“As more and more people move into this region, we need to take aggressive steps to protect the environment from overdevelopment and congestion, which result in the loss of open space and increased pollution,” said Molinaro. “I will continue to work hard to pass legislation and partner with other advocates, community leaders and local officials to protect our natural resources and preserve our quality of life for our families and future generations.”
A graduate of the PACE Land Use Law Center’s Community Leadership Alliance, Molinaro is also a founder and president of the Northern Dutchess Alliance and currently serves on the Hudson Valley Greenway Communities Council.
