Win | New York Sustainable Business Council

07 Feb

WIN: Governor Cuomo Signs Child Safe Products Act Into Law

Child Safe Products Act signed into law

Albany, NY — February 7, 2020: Governor Cuomo signed the Child Safe Products Act (S.501-B Kaminsky / A. 6296-A Englebright) into law. The move marks the fulfillment of a decade-long campaign by a broad, diverse coalition of environmental health advocates, health-impacted groups, sustainable businesses, environmental justice leaders, health care providers, child care providers, parent groups and many others. The law will require manufacturers to disclose chemicals of concern in children’s products and restrict the most toxic, while authorizing the State to add chemicals to disclose and restrict by regulation. The bill passed 53-9 in the Senate and 100-23 in the Assembly on April 30, 2019 as part of a first-ever bicameral Earth Day package.

“The New York Sustainable Business Council represents thousands of businesses committed to the triple bottom line of social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity,” said Bob Rossi, Director, New York Sustainable Business Council. “The Child Safe Products Act cuts across all three tenets. It not only protects our most vulnerable and reduces environmental contamination, it will strengthen our economy. Smarter chemical regulations will drive green tech innovation. Chemical disclosure will allow our retailers to meet the growing demand for non-toxic products. Plus, the children we aim to protect are our future workforce. We thank Governor Cuomo and the leaders in our legislature for seeing this bill through.”

“Passing the Child Safe Products Act is a major step forward for protecting children’s health and it makes good business sense. It protects shareholders, workers, and companies’ brand names, while restoring consumer confidence in product safety. This legislation will drive innovation and lead to greater profits and job growth for responsible New York State businesses. Our businesses are proud to stand in appreciation of the Governor and the New York State legislature for passing this historic legislation,” said David Levine, President, American Sustainable Business Council.

ASBC and NYSBC want to thank all the businesses that joined us in helping to support this important bill. We also want to thank our coalition partners in the Just Green Partnership for their leadership. See the coalition’s full press release here.

21 Jun

WIN: NYS Legislature Passes Most Ambitious Climate Legislation in US

The NYS legislature has passed the most ambitious climate legislation in the US including such goals as carbon-free electricity by 2040 and a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

To meet the goals of this bill, New Yorkers will need to step up in renewable and efficiency projects. We cannot let our state fall short of the stated targets for lack of will, and we must look first to our capable NYS businesses if we want to create jobs and strengthen our economy.

Congrats to all in the fight!

To learn more, this Vox article has a decent analysis: New York just passed the most ambitious climate target in the country

04 Jun

WIN: With Bipartisan Support, Senate Passes Uniform Treatment of Waste Bill

Great news for all New Yorkers! The fracking waste loophole is finally beginning to close. The “Uniform Treatment of Waste” bill just passed the NYS Senate (with bipartisan support) for the first time since its introduction back in 2011! NYSBC has been supporting this for years.
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s3392

If it passes the Assembly and is signed into law by our Governor, then any fracking waste entering NYS from PA or elsewhere would have to be labeled “Hazardous” …finally!

Currently, due to a federal exemption, the fossil fuel industry does not have to disclose what’s in their proprietary fracking formulae, and they have been disposing of their waste in NYS’s municipal landfills and water treatment plants, which are clearly not equipped to treat the unknown hazards. We’ve been slowly poisoning our environment and ourselves with fracking waste from other states. This is unconscionable.

The uniform treat of waste bill received support from Republicans as well as Democrats, as well it should. Let’s not forget that disclosure is key to capitalism. You can’t vote with your dollar without knowing what you’re voting for, so we need transparency from businesses just as we need it from our government.

This is not a final solution, but it is a huge step in the right direction. We are not banning fracking waste. We are not requiring disclosure of their formulae. If signed into law, this bill would simply require that the waste be labeled “hazardous” and therefore transported as hazardous waste and disposed of as hazardous waste. We will update you here when this bill needs your support. Let’s see this through!

Image may contain: possible text that says 'WE COLD TELL YOU WHATS NIT, BUTTHEN BUT WED HAVE TO LET KILL YOU RACKING SECRET INDUSTRY SAUCE BuRe'

01 May

WIN: Child Safe Products Act Passes NYS Legislature

CONGRATS & THANKS to the many business leaders who have joined us over the years fighting for this bill that requires children’s product makers to disclose harmful chemicals and phase out the worst.

A decade since its first introduction, the Child Safe Products Act passed yesterday 53-9 in the NYS Senate and 100-23 in the NYS Assembly within minutes of each other—while many of us ran back and forth to witness history.

Warm gratitude to bill sponsors Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Senator Todd Kaminsky for shepherding the bills through, and thanks as well to every legislator that had the wisdom to vote in favor.

More work to do before this bill becomes law, that law is effectively implemented, and New Yorkers are safer.
To NYS businesses… YOUR VOICE is still needed as we see this through!

Congrats to JustGreen Partnership, Clean and Healthy New York, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Nourish Wealth Management, JSA Financial Group, and many others.

Image may contain: 1 person, possible text that says 'WE NEED THE Child Safe Products Act TO PROTECT ME FROM HARMFUL CHEMICALS THAT CAN MAKE ME SICK! Just Green Partnership'