Latest news with #Martucci
Chicago Tribune
09-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Down to Business: Naper Nuts & Sweets marking its 24th year in downtown Naperville under current owner
Business: Naper Nuts & Sweets Address: 10 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville Phone/website: 630-355-5330; Owner: Dominique Martucci, 60, of Naperville Years in business: 24 What does your business do? 'I have one retail shop and I do wholesale. It's about 65% retail, 35% wholesale,' Martucci said. 'It's three things: candy, caramel corn and gummies. The trifecta that makes the candy shop successful.' Wholesale? 'For the last 20 years I've been building the branding of Naper Nuts & Sweets. (We are) in Grand Geneva Resort, all the Marcus Corp. hotels. We just got Eagle Ridge in Geneva. We've been in 650 Hobby Lobby stores. We are in Marriott, Hilton, Casey's Foods in Naperville. Fresh Market just contacted me.' Why caramel corn? 'When I bought this, I asked the second owner, Ellie Kulton, what she'd do. She said, 'Make caramel corn.' She navigated me. I created my own recipe. It's the No. 1 thing we sell. It has been the greatest blessing.' What makes your caramel corn different? 'The way we cook it and the ingredients. One of our managers (Viv Marciniak) does this 40 hours a week. She's a huge asset. … The mix is in my pantry.' What's with all the nostalgic candies? 'I've narrowed it to what the customers like. Mary Janes. Bulls-Eyes are No. 1. Satellite wafers, we sell thousands of those each week. Kids love them. … We give dentists so much business. I have my teeth cleaned three times a year because I know better.' What should people know? 'My big passion is the troops. My stepfather served. We ship caramel corn to the troops, it's called Operation Caramel Corn, ever since 9/11. … They send me photos from all over the world.' Why do this? 'Because I got through that first year (of ownership during which) 9/11 hit and that was horrifying to me. … Gratitude. I live by that word.' What do you like about your job? 'I love the sentimental feeling of going back in time. When you see a pack of Black Jack gum and what it makes someone feel like. That's what the candy shop is all about. The customers of Naperville have been so loyal. They've been with me through thick and thin. … It has never felt like a job. It's about the people, whether it's the troops, the customers, the employees.' Any negatives? 'I don't like when prices go up. … The biggest challenge is the cost of commodities (like) the cost of butter. Chocolate is a big one right now.' How many vendors do you work with? 'I probably have 50 vendors. We have little places all over.' What's the background? 'I grew up in Cleveland. Then I was a Texas girl. Went to college there. … (My ex-husband) got transferred (to Chicago). I fell in love with it. It reminded me of Cleveland. … This candy shop opened in 1983. I'm the third owner. I've owned it since May 6, 2001.' Why did you buy it? 'I was going through a tough year. My kids went to Washington Junior High. It was convenient. This was advertised for sale on the cover of the business section of The Naperville Sun. Swear to God. … A girlfriend saw it and said 'Let's do it together.' I didn't think twice. … I bought her out three months later. … I give God all the glory for this candy shape. He's not only blessed me with this candy shop, but with my fiancée, Jeff Moudry. He works here.' What's your favorite candy? 'These chocolate peanut butter cups from a small vendor in Cicero. The peanut butter is homemade.' Any future plans? 'I'm still considering another Naper Nuts & Sweets.' Any favorite stories? 'That comes down to the troops because they are my heroes. When they walk into the candy shop and I meet them face to face, that truly touches me. … We created a red white and blue bag we only ship to the troops.' What's an employee say? 'I like how easygoing it is here, and the fast pace of (making) the popcorn,' Marciniak, 33, of Harvey, said. How did the pandemic impact your business? 'Of the 20 employees I had at the time, two were willing to still work. Jeff, me and the two employees continued to work. We did curbside, Uber Eats, DoorDash, the website, wholesale. We made the best of a bad situation.' What's your advice for someone starting a business? 'Be passionate about what you're doing. That's key to me. … You have to have more capital than you think. You have to find the right location. Ultimately, you have to give the glory to God and pray.'
Politico
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Politico
EPA Region 2 head arrives
Good morning and welcome to the weekly Tuesday edition of the New York & New Jersey Energy newsletter. We'll take a look at the week ahead and look back on what you may have missed last week. QUICK FIX EPA REGION 2 HEAD ARRIVES: Mike Martucci, a former New York state lawmaker from the Hudson Valley, is energized about his new job as head of the EPA regional office that includes New York and New Jersey and effusively praised his agency's career civil servants in a Valentine's Day interview. But he doesn't know how many of them he'll be overseeing after the Trump administration finishes its efforts to make a leaner federal workforce. In an interview on Friday morning, hours before the Trump administration announced layoffs across the agency, Martucci was praising the region's career staff who he has been meeting during his first two weeks or so on the job. 'I found a group of incredible professionals, scientists, engineers, attorneys — folks that understand their work so well at the highest levels,' he said. 'And it's really just a privilege to be working with them, learning about the issues that the entire region faces and how we address those issues together, because I intend on approaching this job cooperatively with our career partners. They are the subject matter experts.' Later that day, the EPA office in Washington said it had fired hundreds of people, cuts that were expected to affect regional offices. 'What I do know is that when that all nets off, our focus is going to be exactly what the mission of this agency is, which is to make sure that we've got the cleanest air, the cleanest land and the cleanest water,' he said. 'What that actually means in terms of staffing levels and numbers, I do not know.' In terms of his priorities, he said he's still getting up to speed on some of the issues and is waiting on some direction, but he's connected with the environmental commissioners in New York and New Jersey. 'The challenge is large and requires all of us to work together,' Martucci said. — Concern about the cuts: Martucci's predecessor, Lisa Garcia, who led the regional office during the Biden administration, said in an interview that she worries the cuts the Trump administration is making are 'not very strategic and well-thought out' and could hurt the EPA. She said Elon Musk's effort to slash the federal workforce could end up being at odds with President Donald Trump's agenda, because the people with the expertise to carry it out could be lost. Garcia, who helped lead environmental justice efforts during the Obama administration, also defended that policy push, which has been targeted by the Trump administration. The office's roots go back to the first Bush administration in 1992 and it now contains EPA staff whose job is to interact with communities across the country. Without those people, Garcia said, other people may be forced to pick up the slack in ways that don't make sense. 'Are you going to have your lawyers answer the 1-800 number and talk to the communities? Are you going to have your geologist go out to the community and understand what the complaint was and what the concern is?' she said. — Ry Rivard and Marie J. French HAPPY TUESDAY MORNING: Let us know if you have tips, story ideas or life advice. We're always here at mfrench@ and rrivard@ And if you like this letter, please tell a friend and/or loved one to sign up. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. PROPEL IN PERIL: A more than $3 billion transmission project to accommodate new offshore wind plugging into the downstate electric grid is at risk from federal permitting scrutiny. The Propel NY project, backed by the New York Power Authority and NY Transco, needs approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A Corps official expressed uncertainty about how the project's review may move forward given Trump's executive order on wind permits during a call last week with state officials and developers, according to two people familiar with the conversation who requested anonymity due to the private nature of the discussions. A spokesperson for the Army Corps did not respond to a request for comment. 'The Propel NY Energy project remains under review by the Army Corps of Engineers and other permit agencies working toward a mid-2026 construction start,' said Shannon Baxevanis, a spokesperson for NY Transco, which is owned by the unregulated arms of New York's investor-owned electric utilities. The scrutiny by the Army Corps as they navigate Trump's directives puts a question mark on the timeline and future of federal approvals needed for the sprawling project. Propel NY involves four new substations and 90 miles of new underground and underwater transmission lines including three new connections between Long Island's grid and the rest of the state. It's a key project to support New York's offshore wind goals — which are already teetering — and a significant investment for NYPA, the nation's largest state-owned utility. The project was selected by the state's independent grid operator in 2023 after a competitive process. Trump issued an executive order pausing approvals for wind projects pending a review of permitting practices on Jan. 20. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers temporarily halted reviews of 168 renewable energy projects but lifted that pause earlier this month. But the resumption of permitting did not apply to 'wind and wind-related projects,' according to the Army Corps. The Propel NY project is not linked to any specific offshore wind project but is designed to unlock the full benefits of at least 3,000 megawatts of offshore wind plugging into Long Island's grid. Without the upgrades, new offshore wind projects might not be able to deliver their full output to the entire state. Baxevanis emphasized the project would have other benefits including for reliability and resiliency. NYISO spokesperson Kevin Lanahan also didn't mention 'offshore wind' in a statement on the project. 'The Propel New York project would ultimately benefit energy consumers by providing transmission capability to deliver at least 3,000 megawatts while offering New Yorkers greater access to diverse and efficient resources,' Lanahan said. 'It will also provide effective flexibility under a wide range of operating conditions.' When Propel NY was approved, New York had more than four gigawatts of offshore wind in active development. Now, the state has one small project operating and two contracted projects totaling about 1,700 megawatts. — Marie J. French UTILITY BILLS COULD BE HIT BY TARIFFS — POLITICO's Marie J. French: President Donald Trump's planned tariffs pose a risk to New York utility bills — just as Gov. Kathy Hochul struggles to find levers to keep those costs down. New York imports electricity and gas from Canada, and broad tariffs could also hit equipment utilities buy to upgrade their systems. Trump paused implementation of a planned broad 25 percent tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports, and a 10 percent tariff on Canadian energy products, until March 6. 'This is a wild card, because we're not sure whether there will be tariffs or what the sizes are,' said Public Service Commission Chair and Department of Public Service CEO Rory Christian. The commission regulates the state's electric, gas and water utilities. Here's what we're watching: TUESDAY — The Department of Public Service holds a hearing on regulations to implement the 'RAPID Act,' 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., Hudson Valley Community College, Bulmer Telecommunications Center , 80 Vandenburgh Ave., Troy. WEDNESDAY — The Department of Public Service holds another hearing on regulations to implement the 'RAPID Act,' 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., Senator John H. Hughes State Office Building, Main Conference Room, 333 East Washington Street, Syracuse. Around New York — COMMENT CALL: The Department of Public Service wants comments on NYPA's petition to build the Clean Path transmission project and pass costs on to ratepayers. — SOLAR UPDATE: NYSERDA informed solar companies they'll add some incentives for solar in upstate and Con Edison, but plans to phase out incentives after about $12 million in funding for 79 megawatts of capacity is exhausted, according to NYSEIA. — Long Island town supervisors want the state to classify waste-to-energy plants as 'zero emissions.' The state's climate plan acknowledges existing combustion facilities may be needed to avoid higher emissions from transporting and landfilling waste. The Public Service Commission has an open proceeding to define 'zero emissions' electricity sources. — Canadian visitors may opt to avoid the Adirondacks amid tensions over tariffs and comments by Trump. — Union is reviewing contract offer from National Grid. — People in New York City aren't composting despite universal rollout. — Assembly Transportation Committee chair slams lack of chargers for trucks along Thruway: 'Not only is this not a plan. This borders on ridiculous,' he said. — Adirondack Park Agency reviews herbicide used in Lake George. — The New York Daily News takes on the issue of New York City's property taxes raising Con Ed utility bills, writing in an editorial: 'New Yorkers, from Hochul on down, direct their ire to Con Ed instead of the City Council and the mayor who set the property tax rates. That way the property taxes can be kept lower for residences and businesses, but since everyone uses electricity, it's a backdoor way to still collect the money for the city government.' — Westchester County officials blasted Con Ed's rate hikes. What you may have missed FIRE FEUD — POLITICO's Ry Rivard and Marie J. French: In the wake of California's devastating wildfires, New Jersey's governor is worried neighboring New York is unprepared to fight fires along their shared border. Gov. Phil Murphy used a Thursday press conference on wildfire readiness to say New York's lack of a state fire service is 'beyond belief.' The comments come just three months after firefighters from both states struggled to contain a 5,000-acre blaze along their forested border in the northern part of New Jersey. The November fire, which started near the state border, burned for two weeks before it was contained. Murphy, a Democrat, called his state's own 60-person statewide Forest Fire Service a 'gem' and lambasted New York for not having a similar agency. 'We were battling some serious fires on the New York state border and it was, fair to say, incredibly challenging because they don't have what we have,' he said. 'You think that's crazy? New York's got almost 20 million people — they don't have a state forest fire service and that made that really hard and I would argue it took longer to get that under control because of that than it otherwise should have.' ZELDIN ON OFFSHORE WIND: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, a former congressman from Long Island who environmentalists hold out some hope of persuading to support offshore wind, largely quashed that idea. 'I support President Trump, and I'm committed to implementing his orders, his direction on this front,' Zeldin told POLITICO's Emily Ngo. 'Personally, I've long believed in an all-of-the-above approach towards energy.' 'I've long advocated against the desire in a state like New York to put ourselves in a box of relying so much on something like offshore wind that we cannot achieve dates that are set in New York statute without causing extreme economic pain for New Yorkers who can least afford it,' Zeldin said. New York Republicans have long been critical of the state's climate law that requires emissions to be cut dramatically over the coming decades and requires 9 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind by 2035. Zeldin said there are 'many, far smarter ways' to bring economic opportunity to New York state. 'We should be enthusiastically, on a bipartisan basis, both sides of the aisle, tapping into all of these different other forms of energy that New Yorkers are demanding,' Zeldin said. The EPA head said the U.S. has reduced emissions 'for decades.' Emissions were about 3 percent below 1990 levels in 2022, down from a high of 15 percent above the 1990 baseline in 2007, according to the EPA. Zeldin appeared to reference the growth in use of natural gas over coal and oil, which has largely driven emissions reductions in the power sector, including in New York state. Gov. Kathy Hochul called out Zeldin in late January, questioning what he would do about the economic impact of losing offshore wind projects in New York. The governor had pinned hopes for thousands of jobs on the industry, but Trump has committed to blocking new leases and halted permitting. Hopes for the industry are now in tatters, as New Jersey doesn't plan to make any deals for new projects. New York hasn't made new awards as scheduled, citing federal uncertainty, and further delays risk developers backing out of their proposed pricing. The state has one operating wind project supplying Long Island and two others poised to move forward this year. A federal halt to new projects could set New York even further off course from achieving its 70 percent renewable electricity target. Officials already have acknowledged that won't be achieved by the 2030 deadline, and delays to a massive buildout of offshore wind mean it will be further behind schedule. — Marie J. French CLIMATE COLLISION: Environmental activists disrupted the normally staid proceedings of the state's Public Service Commission three times Thursday. It wasn't a rate hike they were protesting, but the decision by Gov. Kathy Hochul's Department of Environmental Conservation to approve a pipeline project. The long-awaited decision was a significant test for Hochul on the state's climate law. It's the first major decision acknowledging that the state's approval will lead to increased emissions but greenlighting it anyway to address reliability concerns. 'There's no reason for it. It's environmentally damaging and it goes against' the state's climate law, said Bill Kish, a Dutchess County resident who attended the commission meeting. 'I realize you can override that act, however that's no excuse for you and the governor to build new gas infrastructure right now.' The Department of Environmental Conservation issued air permits for the Iroquois Enhancement by Compression, or 'ExC,' project last week. The project involves upgrades to two compressor stations in New York that will increase pressure and thus the flow of natural gas on the already existing Iroquois pipeline. During the commission meeting, the protesters moved toward the dais where commissioners sit at the front of the room. Stanchions separating the public from the commissioners were knocked over. Department staff stood up to physically block the protesters. State troopers on the scene ordered advocates to leave if they did not want to be arrested. PSC Chair Rory Christian told the protesters he would speak to them but not during the meeting. — Marie J. French NJ RATE HIKES — POLITICO's Ry Rivard: Electric prices are set to skyrocket in New Jersey this summer. Customers will be paying about $25 more per month for power starting in June, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities said on Wednesday. The high bills are likely to play into the governor's race that will be in full swing for the June primary. HOCHUL PAUSES NYPA RATE HIKES: Gov. Kathy Hochul has ordered the New York Power Authority to rethink increases to 'the lowest rates in the nation' for some of its hydropower customers. NYPA, which the governor effectively controls, last year proposed rate increases amounting to a tripling in electricity costs in 2028 for some of its customers that benefit from low-cost hydropower, including 51 municipal and cooperative electric utilities. The increased costs are driven by investments in the St. Lawrence and Niagara hydroelectric dams, which NYPA is entitled by law to recover from customers. 'Too many New Yorkers are already falling behind on their energy bills and I will do everything in my power to reign [sic] in these astronomical costs,' Hochul said in a statement on Wednesday. 'While I recognize the Power Authority's critical importance in providing invaluable, clean, baseload power from its large hydroelectric power plants Upstate, I expect NYPA to go back to the drawing board, shelve this existing proposal, and figure out a better way forward.' Just a day earlier, Hochul similarly told Con Ed to withdraw its rate hike proposal. But Hochul has far more power over NYPA. 'At Governor Hochul's request, NYPA will move to withdraw the 2025 proposed rate increase,' said NYPA spokesperson Lindsay Kryzak. 'We understand that New Yorkers are struggling right now, and we intend to make every effort to collaborate with our customers and stakeholders to find a way forward.' The NYPA board of trustees approved starting a public comment process for the increases, which are spread over four years and drop off in the fifth year, at their December meeting. The rate hikes were set to go into effect in July 2025. Republican lawmakers, many of whom represent areas with municipal power providers benefiting from NYPA allocations, have sharply criticized the hikes and urged Hochul to reconsider the increases. Unlike utility rate hikes, these increases are for supply costs and not the distribution infrastructure delivering the power. NYPA last increased the rates in 2014 at the end of a three year rate increase. NYPA is currently 'under collecting' from these customers by about $25 million, according to the authority. The current electric rate is just under $13 per megawatt hour. The proposed increase would have been about 30 percent each year for four years, then a drop of 30 percent down to about $24 in 2029. New York market rates are forecast to be above $40 per megawatt hour through 2028, according to NYPA. Customer bills would not have tripled, since the supply from NYPA is only a portion of the bill. One municipal utility estimated monthly bills for the average residential customer would rise $9 per month in the fourth year. The proposed rate increase is driven in part by a massive $1.6 billion investment to modernize the Niagara power plant, which Hochul toured and touted in 2021. The authority held public hearings on the increases and was accepting public comments. NYPA may return to its board with a plan that takes longer to phase in the increases and recover its costs. Republican Sen. George Borrello, who has criticized the proposed rate hike, took credit for Hochul's decision to halt the process. 'Once Governor Hochul saw the extent of opposition, she put the brakes on it — something she should have done from the start,' he said in a statement. 'This fight isn't over. We must remain vigilant to ensure NYPA doesn't revive this misguided proposal down the road and that New Yorkers continue to have access to reliable, low-cost energy.' The head of a group representing several municipal utilities that are hydroelectric customers praised Hochul and NYPA for the halt. 'At a time when New Yorkers are facing increasing costs across the board, this rate suspension demonstrates a commitment to protecting ratepayers from additional financial strain and keeping New York affordable,' said Dave Leathers, president of the New York Association of Public Power and general manager of the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities. The association 'looks forward to ongoing conversations to ensure NYPA's hydroelectric facilities remain operating and providing clean, reliable energy while keeping rates affordable.' — Marie J. French TOLLS ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS — POLITICO's Ry Rivard and Nick Reisman: New York City's business community is trying to make a deal on congestion tolls with the city's most famous businessperson. President Donald Trump pledged during his campaign to kill the new fee to enter Manhattan's business district during his first week in office. But even as he continues to publicly toy with plans to eliminate federal approval of the $9 tolls, he's hesitating — thereby creating an opening for a persuasion campaign to either box him in or bargain. HOCHUL SLAMS CON ED RATE HIKE — POLITICO's Marie J. French: Continuing her affordability crusade, Gov. Kathy Hochul is pulling out a time-honored political playbook: bash the utility. Hochul called Con Ed's proposed rate increase 'unconscionable' on Tuesday and urged the state's top utility regulator to reject it. The utility proposed an increase of more than 10 percent for gas and electric customers last month. NJT WORRIES – POLITICO's Ry Rivard: The new head of NJ Transit said Wednesday the agency is worried about losing $300 million a month it relies on from the federal government. As the Trump administration tries to slash spending, CEO Kris Kolluri said his goals for the agency must be understood within 'the context of what is happening in the federal government.' BUDGETING A BILLION: A portion of Gov. Kathy Hochul's $1 billion climate fund should be directed to two existing environmental programs, said Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Deborah Glick. She suggested $100 million each could be earmarked to boost the funding levels for clean water infrastructure and the Environmental Protection Fund. Hochul proposed $500 million for water infrastructure and $400 million for the EPF in her executive budget, keeping levels stagnant. Environmental groups and other advocates have pushed for additional resources. 'Some of it should be targeted in the existing programs,' Glick said. 'Obviously the governor could find money.' The Manhattan Democrat expressed little appetite for a legislative response to the governor's delay of 'cap and invest' regulations. 'We're not going to meet our goal, that's clear,' Glick said of the state's 2030 emissions reduction target. 'The reality is you set aggressive goals and sometimes you don't meet them — that doesn't mean you should set lower goals.' One of Glick's priorities this session is to pass measures restricting the use of PFAS, after a few bills that appeared poised for passage were blown off track by Hochul's congestion pricing delay last session. 'We have to get a couple of these umbrella bills done,' Glick said. 'We have almost no time to waste and we have a hostile takeover of the government in Washington.' Environmental and public health advocates are prioritizing measures to ban PFAS in many consumer and household products from dental floss to cleaning products (S187), cosmetics and personal care products (A2054/S2057) and in menstrual products (A1502/S1548). — Marie J. French PLASTICS PLAN: A bill that would dramatically change New Jersey's relationship with plastic cleared the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on Monday. The bill would ban plastics with certain toxic chemicals in them, including PFAS, and force companies to halve their use of plastic packaging over the next decade and then help pay for recycling of what remains. The Packaging Product Stewardship Act is meant to tackle plastic as a public health crisis amid increasing research that finds the human body is filled with plastics and that these particles could be making us ill. The bill (S3398) is championed by committee Chair Bob Smith, a Middlesex County Democrat. Versions of the bill have been the subject of about eight hearings before it cleared committee on a 3-2 party line to face an uncertain future in an election year. A few other states have similar plans. A similar bill has advanced in New York's legislature, which Judith Enck, head of the group Beyond Plastics, hopes will create regional momentum and a critical mass for changes to the industry. — Ry Rivard
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.'
