Local Indivisible Members Call for Swift Climate Action at DEC Hearing

By TERESA WINCHESTER
ALBANY

Nine members of Cooperstown/Oneonta Indivisible traveled to the headquarters of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Albany on Wednesday, June 4 to urge prompt action on the state’s cap-and-invest regulations. These rules would require corporations to pay for the fossil fuel pollution they produce. The resulting proceeds would go back to New Yorkers to help cover the cost of their energy bills and to fund projects that mitigate flooding and provide clean energy to communities. Of those investments, at least 35 percent would go to historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities.

The framework for the hearing is the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. After its passage, the state legislature then authorized DEC to establish rules and regulations necessary to meet the CLCPA goals of reducing GHG emissions from 1990 levels by 40 percent by 2030 and by 85 percent by 2050. The proposed GHG reporting rule is part of the state’s effort to gather information to support the reduction of GHG emissions to meet these goals.

The draft regulations identify which entities would need to report GHG emissions. These include suppliers of natural gas, liquid fuel and petroleum products, compressed and liquified natural gas, and electric power plants, as well as agricultural lime and fertilizer producers. Facilities which meet or exceed 10,000 metric tons in annual GHG emissions would also be required to report.

Climate activists have been frustrated with what they perceive as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s back-pedaling on emission controls. Hochul had been expected to announce steps to implement the cap-and-invest program in her January 2025 State of the State address. Instead, she unexpectedly delayed the program, subsequently announcing a draft GHG emissions reporting rule that would require polluters to report on, but not actually lower, their emissions. This move exacerbated the pre-existing impatience of environmental organizations as well of citizens generally concerned about the impacts of climate change.

A sense of urgency was the unifying theme among speakers at a press conference held outside DEC headquarters before the hearing. The press conference was organized by NY Renews, a coalition of nearly 400 climate, labor, youth and community groups. Speakers included representatives from New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, Citizen Action NY, Third Act Upstate, ALIGN, and Dayenu. Also urging action on cap-and-invest were three state assembly members: Al Stirpe Jr. (AD 127), Claire Valdez (AD 37) and Anna Kelles (AD 125).

The DEC hearing that followed focused specifically on the rule requiring major polluters to report their GHG emissions but not requiring GHG emission reductions or the purchase of allowances. Most speakers, however, were advocating for a more comprehensive package, asking for a full release of the cap-and-invest regulations, which would specify how GHG emission allowances would be purchased and how the revenue would be invested to promote energy efficiency, clean transportation, and other initiatives.

Virginia Kennedy of Middlefield, leader of Cooperstown/Oneonta Indivisible and adjunct professor at SUNY Oneonta, prevailed upon Gov. Hochul to enact cap-and-invest for the sake of future generations.

“Human beings are the only biological species who knowingly pollute the very land, air and water they need to survive. Yet, most everyone claims they care about their children, about the next generations. My children, my students are petrified about their futures with climate change allowed to rampage when we have the tools to address it… The adults in the room need to protect our children, our future generations. Gov. Hochul, do your job and fully enact the regulations for New York State’s already-passed climate change law. If not, stand up and say you don’t care about our kids,” she challenged.

Oneonta resident Alex Fisher, who suffers from asthma, recalled the days of her youth in New York City when there were no controls on air pollution.

“I never want to go back to those days… Our nation’s eco-consciousness woke up in the 1960s and 70s. We made great strides in cleaning up our air and water. Why is it that in 2025 we are facing the same issues we did six decades ago?” she asked.

Fisher called for New York State to go beyond the mere reporting of emissions by polluting industries.

“We need to have strong regulations like cap-and-invest—making sure industry not only reduces, but pays, for its pollution. These regulations were supposed to be released 17 months ago, but were not…Why is New York breaking its own laws?” queried Fisher.

Charles Sherrard, an Oneontan who substitute teaches in the Worcester Central School district, spoke of an orange fog seen outside his classroom caused by smoke drifting from wildfires raging in Quebec. Citing information obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sherrard stated that “climate change is causing rising temperatures which are far more conducive to wildfires.”

Like other speakers, Sherrard expressed disappointment that Gov. Hochul has released only one of the regulations needed to move cap-and-invest forward.

“We need Gov. Hochul to release all three of the regulations immediately…I have been a teacher long enough to know that demands without deadlines usually turn into permissive quagmires of procrastination and indecisiveness,” Sherrard said.

Judith McCloskey spoke about the impacts of climate change in rural Decatur, where she resides.

“Corporate pollution has poisoned the fish in my creek. Unprecedented flooding threatens our homes. Instead of the warm and sunny May our crops rely on, we only had eight days all month without torrential downpours. We get unsafe air warnings from wildfire smoke and from dangerous CO2 levels, brought on by unseasonable warmth waking up microbes breaking down last fall’s vegetation before new spring leaves can absorb the gas. All these climate crises threaten our families and the food New York farms grow to feed us all,” McCloskey stated.

She then turned to the power of the vote to demand action.

“Rural voters aren’t dumb. We know the only ones benefiting from this delay are polluting corporations Gov. Hochul is choosing to put before families of this state. We won’t be fooled now—nor in the voting booth,” she said.

Paul Mendelsohn of Cherry Valley, a retired elementary school teacher and member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, pointed to Exxon Mobil’s repression of knowledge regarding the impact of the oil and gas industry on climate.

“Forty years ago, Exxon Mobil began climate modeling with regard to fossil fuel consumption that revealed to their directors, but kept from the public, dire predictions of harm for life on our only planet,” he said.

Reviewing the advantages of cap-and-invest to state residents, Mendelsohn concluded, “With an administration in D.C. that is attacking climate action on all fronts by slashing federal funding and trying to kill climate programs and regulations, the DEC wisely made the following press release on May 30: “our environment and economy are inextricably linked.” With strong leadership at the state level, we will continue to take the reins to protect our environment and public health, support equity and inclusivity, invest in our communities, advance sustainable development, and rebuild trust in government.”

Elsie Rhodes, Barbara LaCorte and Teri Musser accompanied the group but did not speak at the hearing.

Approximately 30 people attended both the NY Forward Press Conference and the June 4 DEC hearing. The first such hearing was held in Syracuse on June 3. The third and final public hearing will take place in Long Island City on Thursday, June 12. Virtual hearings will be held via Webex on Wednesday, June 18 at 1 and 6 p.m. Written comments may be mailed to Mandatory Reporting Section, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, 11th floor, Albany, NY 12233-3252. They may also be submitted electronically at Air.Regs@dec.ny.gov. Name, address and affiliation (if any) should be included in comments.