Latest news with #EnvironmentalBondAct
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suffolk County is full of crap — but taxpayers just flushed $3.8M into solving the problem
Some 70% of Suffolk County homes and businesses still rely on cesspools — but officials are planning to shell out millions to plug those properties into the municipal sewer system. County Executive Ed Romaine revealed plans to jumpstart a slew of projects with $3.8 million this year alone to modernize the sewer system, and ultimately recycle treated water to irrigate golf courses and other green spaces. 'We're addressing this crisis with sewer systems that don't just pump wastewater out to the ocean or the Sound — but systems that actually treat it properly and help protect our aquifer,' Romaine told The Post. The Republican explained that cesspools and septic tanks aren't just outdated — they're dangerous to Long Islanders. When waste sits underground for too long, it can seep into the soil and contaminate the aquifer beneath us, which is where the county gets all of its drinking water, and when that water gets tainted by human waste, it puts the entire region's health and safety at risk. The new system, however, has no timetable to be completed and could take years. Romaine is now hoping the state and federal government will pitch in for the projects. Suffolk hasn't seen a dime from the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act — a massive state fund voters approved back in 2022 to help pay for exactly this kind of infrastructure, the executive said. Romaine also told The Post that Suffolk County has not received any money the state was supposed to allocate from former President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure bill. 'If we have to, we will do this by ourselves,' Romaine told The Post about the possibility of receiving no state or federal funds. 'But it is a shame that the state would abandon Suffolk County in its time of need for environmental purposes,' he added. Gov. Kathy Hochul's office was not immediately available for comment.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former state senator named EPA regional administrator
A former state senator who represented parts of Delaware County has been appointed as the regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in a media release Thursday, Feb. 6 that President Donald Trump appointed Michael Martucci as the regional administrator for EPA Region 2. Region 2 covers New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations. Martucci is a business owner and farmer from the Hudson Valley. He was elected to the state Senate in 2020, but after redistricting, he decided not to run for reelection in 2022, according to Daily Star archives. During his time in the state Senate, he was a supporter of New York's Environmental Bond Act and passed legislation related to open space protection and inland waterway designation throughout his district, which included portions of Orange, Ulster and Delaware counties as well as all of Sullivan County, according to the release. 'I am honored to have been chosen for this role," Martucci said in the release, "and just a few weeks into my job, I am already impressed with the professionalism, thoughtfulness and dedication of the EPA's regional workforce,. I am proud to lead this regional office to meet the important priorities of the Trump administration, which include balanced environmental protection.' He is a lifelong resident of Orange County, the release stated. He is a graduate of Marist College where he obtained an MBA. After college, Martucci founded Quality Bus Service, a school transportation company which grew from one bus that he drove to 350 buses and 550 employees, according to Daily Star archives. The company, which he sold in 2018, serves thousands of schoolchildren and their families in the Hudson Valley Region of New York. He and his wife, Erin, are raising their three children in Orange County on a farm. He and his wife established The Michael and Erin Martucci Family Foundation in 2019 and dedicated $250,000 to help support local women and children in need, farmers, job creation and education. 'As a businessman, state senator and community leader, Mike Martucci has proven he is committed to service,' Zeldin said in the release. 'In the New York state Senate, he championed legislation aimed at improving our environment and advancing conservation. Mike brings a wealth of private and public sector experience and is exactly who we need leading Region 2. I am excited to have him aboard.' Laurie Ramie, executive director of the Upper Delaware Council, said in a statement that the UDC was "delighted" with the choice of Martucci. The UDC a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the National Park Service to cooperatively manage the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania. "As the state senator for our river valley communities, Mike was always responsive and engaged in advocating for impactful support to conserve the special resources of the Delaware River watershed and invest in sustainable economic initiatives," she said. "At our award ceremony in 2021, Mike told us that clean air and clean water, and protecting our natural beauty, are not partisan issues, 'they are human issues'." New York state Senate Minority Leader Bob Orrt said in a statement that Martucci "will make an excellent addition to the EPA." 'During his time in the New York state Senate, Mike proved himself as a dedicated public servant,' Orrt said. 'He worked to listen to his constituents and learn the issues in his community and throughout New York state. I am confident he will serve both the EPA and the people of New York well in this new role.' Heather Mulligan, head of The Business Council of New York State, said that Martucci "is a tremendous addition to the EPA leadership team, and I expect he will do an exceptional job representing New York State and his entire region." "Mike is the right choice," she said, "as he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience as a business owner and former state senator who worked on environmental issues critical to business and his constituents.'
