Dietmar Detering supports 48 but opposes 561-A, 562, 869-A, and 11-A

Your health first.

What's that?

Your health first.

Cheers.

Thank you for the time.

My name is Dietmar Detering.

I'm a Queens resident and an active citizen air complaint reporter.

The City Council should be proud of what the citizen air complaint program has accomplished.

For decades, commercial trucks and buses routinely idled on our streets with little enforcement.

Today,

Many fleets have changed their behavior.

New Yorkers can already see, hear, and breathe the difference.

Enforcement is increasingly reaching the fleets that have not yet adapted.

Instead of complying, however, some are seeking relief from the council.

Interest 561A, 562,

and 869A would provide that relief for polluters and move us in the wrong direction.

They would weaken enforcement and discourage citizen participation just when the program is beginning to realize its potential.

Entry 11A is not the solution either.

Aggressive penalties raise the stakes for drivers and complainants.

encouraging confrontation and non-payment.

A reasonable inflation adjustment would be preferable.

I support Intro 48's expansion of language access, but accessibility also requires timely feedback and training.

Thousands of New Yorkers have registered for this program.

How many gave up?

Because DEP took over a year to tell them their complaints were defective.

We need more successful citizen reporters, not fewer.

Broader participation will encourage greater compliance, leaving fewer violations for anyone to report.

Above all, DEP needs the resources

and direction to process complaints within the existing 45-day period.

Respondents should learn about violations promptly while they can change their behavior.

The Council should let this successful program mature rather than undermine it halfway through transforming New York City's idling culture.

Thank you.