George Pakenham opposes 561-A and cites his anti-idling documentary

My name is George Packenham, and I'm a filmmaker and a producer of the documentary film Idle Threat, Man on a Mission.

And I'm a board member of the governor emeritus of the New York Clean Air Collective.

I'm 76 years old, and 20 years ago, I became aware of the pesky problem of air pollution caused by needless engine idling and have been fighting the fight ever since.

The trucking and bus companies have their arguments in support of Bill 561A.

But I think they are after higher profits and less government oversight.

I oppose Bill 561A because it threatens to destroy all the good work that the New York Clean Air Collective has done fighting air pollution in this fair city.

I contend that the Clean Air, that the Citizens Air Complaint Program fights for a better public health and that that is the core argument here, not profits or government oversight.

I suggest that any council members who are curious about the facts and figures behind engine idling as a public health issue.

Please visit the Environmental Defense Fund website and look at the study called Idling Gets You Nowhere.

It's a comprehensive research document.

And if you need a more practical approach to this problem, I have a suggestion.

When the meeting concludes, go outside on Broadway, find an idling bus, take a deep breath,

And afterwards, it should be clear to you that Bill 561A should not pass city council vote in its current state and become law.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate you being here and being patient and giving us the benefit of your views.

And hang on.

Dietmar?

Dietmar?

Okay.

Yeah, I just have a confession to make.

I'm having like a sugar episode, and so I have to eat a candy bar as I'm listening to your testimony.

But, yeah, I'm so, I apologize, but it's, if I'm going to be, you know, continue sitting upright, I have to.