Hayden Brockett opposes 561-A and warns it would gut the complaint program

All right, great.

That's north, right?

It's north.

I wouldn't know.

I forget which.

I get turned around down here.

No, yeah.

Yeah.

That's north.

All right.

Good afternoon.

My name is Hayden Brockett, and I join with over 30 environmental and good government groups, as well as two committees on Manhattan Community Board 7, which I serve, to oppose Intro 561A.

The Citizens Air Complaint Program, make no mistake, is working well.

It is stopping pollution all across our city.

There is coverage that tracks pollution, and we cannot go backwards on clean air.

But unfortunately, that is exactly what this council is poised to do.

I want to talk about what would happen if the suite of bills up for today passes.

Intro 48.

I'm just going to jump in for a second.

I'll give you time at the end.

But it's just, you know, these are not being presented as like final.

We want to pass some bills.

These are all works in progress.

So it's like these are all.

We're hearing them because they're not done.

We, you know, they're not where we want them to be.

I hear you, Mr.

Chairman.

I appreciate that.

There have been some edits and amendments that have been made that unfortunately make the make it worse.

And I don't think that's a secret that there are problems.

I think that I think that's fine testimony, but it's just like we're not, you know, like we're not angling to pass these bills tomorrow.

OK, that's good to know.

Yeah.

Thank you.

If Intro 48 were passed to open up the Citizens Air Complaint Program to the 2.5 million New Yorkers who don't speak English, that would be good.

They've been locked out of the program since the Adams administration, and it sounds good.

But unfortunately, Intro 561A slams that same door shut with dangerous new loopholes that effectively legalize all diesel engine idling, all school bus idling for half the year.

And it requires the DEP throw out.

Now it sounds like 230,000 pending complaints.

And going forward, throw out many other complaints because they can't meet that deadline.

You may as well not have a program.

And it's terrible.

For our air.

And to add insult to that very real and life-threatening injury, those 2.5 million New Yorkers who got their first

shot at participation.

This council would say, sorry.

No, just keep going.

You don't get the same portion of the fines that has been on the books for the last 55 years because Intro 561A is now cutting citizen awards just as you get to participate.

And I think that sends a terrible message to those New Yorkers.

The bill cannot be resurrected.

I do want to talk about Intro 11A.

I think it sounds good that it raises fines for corporate polluters, but unfortunately it's going to undermine compliance because all but the biggest violators will skip out on those fines.

Today, the stats show nearly 40% of idling violators ignore their tickets, which, let's be clear, run from $350 to $600.

They just don't pay.

And collection attempts are unfortunately not successful.

So there's a $3,000 fine in Intro 11A, and that message, unfortunately, does not send compliance.

It's too high.

The message is that it's all for show.

And I think, in fact, you're going to have less compliance if the fines are too high.

And that's bad for our air.

So I think if this bill passes, we're all going to need to start wearing gas masks again.

We cannot go backwards on clean air.

And I think the council, unfortunately, can't be playing politics with our health.

Is there any way we can get the microphone out to feed back?

I mean, you know.

Pardon?

Oh, oh, oh.

Yeah.

Oh.

Too close to each other?

Oh, I see what you're saying.

Oh, okay.

All right.

All right.

Yeah, so let's let the rest of the panel testify, and we'll, you know.

One last thing.

I didn't mean to.

I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about the repeat violations issue.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And please proceed with your good testimony, say your name for the record, and we'll commence.