Environmental Justice

DEC to Host April 20 Community Availability Session for Gowanus Canal Area Sites

What: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will host a community availability session on Thursday, April 20, to provide an update on New York State's oversight of the investigation and remediation of 49 sites in the Gowanus Canal area in the Brownfield Cleanup and State Superfund programs.

The meeting will provide a review of New York State's remedial programs, an overview of work completed to date, and details of the ongoing investigations and cleanup in the Gowanus Canal area. Experts from DEC and DOH will be available for community members to interact with in a one-on-one format. Multiple stations will be set up in the school with representatives available at stations detailing specific areas of interest. Participants can attend any time during the session.

When: Thursday, April 20, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: P.S. 372, The Children's School, 215 1st Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215

More information on the sites to be discussed and the availability session details (PDF).

What's a Community Availability Session? Learn more at DEC's YouTube channel.

Draft New York State Solid Waste Management Plan – Public Comment Period Now Open

To protect communities and mitigate the effects of climate change, the draft New York State Solid Waste Management Plan (Plan) builds upon sustained efforts to reduce waste and advance the state’s transition to a circular economy, helping to change New Yorkers’ understanding of waste and their relationship to it. This Plan is intended to guide actions over the next decade, from the beginning of 2023 to the end of 2032, and builds upon the State’s 2010 Beyond Waste Plan.

The Plan sets forth six major Focus Areas with goals and action items to move towards a circular economy and to move the materials management industry forward in New York State:

• Waste Prevention, Reduction, and Reuse.
• Recycling and Recycling Market Development and Resiliency.
• Product Stewardship and Extended Producer Responsibility.
• Organics Reduction and Recycling.
• Toxics in Products.
• Design and Operation of Solid Waste Management Facilities and Related Activities.

View the draft New York State Solid Waste Management Plan.

Public Comment Period

Persons wishing to comment on the Plan have the opportunity to submit written comments until May 15, 2023. Comments can be submitted by email to NYSSolidWastePlan@dec.ny.gov. Please include “Comments on SSWMP” in the subject line of the email.

Apply for the 2023 Climate-adaptive Design Studio

Do you want help envisioning a thriving, resilient future for your waterfront?

DEC announces an opportunity for a Hudson riverfront municipality to host the Cornell University Department of Landscape Architecture's Climate-adaptive Design (CaD) Studio during the fall of 2023.

Fall studio: August - December 2023

Letter of interest deadline: 5 p.m., Monday, May 15, 2023

Contact: Libby Zemaitis, Hudson River Estuary Program Climate Change Program Coordinator, via email at Libby.Zemaitis@dec.ny.gov

• CaD Studio webpage.
• Watch the 2023 CaD pre-application webinar recording.
• Download our 2023 CaD Community Application fact sheet.
• Visit DEC's Climate-adapted Communities website or email us at hvclimate@dec.ny.gov
• Invite your friends and colleagues to join our Climate Resilience in the Hudson River Estuary newsletter by signing up.

Xinyue Hope Shen, 2021 Poughkeepsie Climate-adaptive Design Studio, Cornell University, Cerra

Forest Service Offers $1 Billion in Urban and Community Forestry Grants 

The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities that are working to provide equitable access to trees and green spaces and the benefits they provide. The funding opportunity is open to proposals spanning a broad range of investments working at a community, regional, and national scale.

• The minimum funding amount for projects is $100,000. The maximum federal funding limit is $50,000,000. All funding agreements will be for a period of 5 years.
• All federal grant funds are to be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal match. Match-waivers are available for proposals that deliver 100% of the funding/program benefits to disadvantaged communities.

All application materials must be received on the grant application website by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on June 1, 2023.

Visit the Forest Service for more information.