100 Environmental Justice Communities Across USA Write to Speaker Heastie and Senator Stewart Cousins to Reduce Plastic Packaging by 50% and Protect Their Health
From Appalachia to Louisiana to Texas, leaders of frontline environmental justice communities harmed by plastic pollution sent a letter to Speaker Heastie and Leader Stewart-Cousins urging them to pass the strongest Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act possible, with national impact
For Immediate Release: May 31, 2024
Contact: Marissa Solomon, marissa@pythiapublic.com, 734-330-0807
ALBANY, N.Y. — Today, 100 frontline environmental justice leaders from 18 states sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, urging them to pass the strongest packaging reduction bill possible. It’s imperative that the legislation reduce single-use plastic packaging by 50%, without any glaring loopholes. The group writes:
“We represent frontline communities that live in the shadow of major plastics and petrochemical facilities that are making us and our families sick. Plastic production is resulting in significant air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution that has compromised our health and the quality of our local environment.
New York state needs to lead the way by adopting this legislation that will cut plastic packaging by 50%. This bill can lead to transformational change that is long overdue.”
Read the full letter here, or pasted below.
Earlier this week, the American Lung Association sent a memo of support to Albany lawmakers, writing, “Reducing packaging and related supplies, especially plastic, will significantly decrease energy and resource consumption, reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and protect our lung health.” View the memo here.
Notable signers of the letter include Time 100 List’s Sharon Lavigne of St. James Parish Louisiana Jess Conard, East Palestine, Ohio; The Descendants Project in Cancer Alley Louisiana Society of Native Nations; The Port Arthur Community Action Network in Texas; and more.
Letter
May 31, 2024
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie
NYS Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
Re: Support a strong packaging reduction bill, S 4246-B, A 5322-B
Dear Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie:
We write to you with an urgent request that you pass the strongest packaging reduction bill possible, introduced by Senator Harckham and Assemblymember Glick.
You may be wondering why out-of-state groups are contacting you on this bill. We represent frontline communities that live in the shadow of major plastics and petrochemical facilities that are making us and our families sick. Plastic production is resulting in significant air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution that has compromised our health and the quality of our local environment.
New York state needs to lead the way by adopting this legislation that will cut plastic packaging by 50%. This bill can lead to transformational change that is long overdue. Further, it is imperative that the bill not include loopholes and that it continues to block polluting chemical recycling facilities from counting as real recycling.
Cutting plastic pollution starts with cutting plastic production. We need your vigilant work in the coming days to get a very strong bill over the finish line in the NYS legislature. Thank you for your commitment to improving environmental injustices, as evidenced by this pioneering bill.
Sincerely,
Sharon Lavigne
Founder & Director, Rise St James
Louisiana
Diane Wilson
Executive Director, San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper
Texas
Yvette Arellano
Director/Founder, Fenceline Watch
Texas
John Beard
CEO, Port Arthur Community Action Network
Texas
Jo Banner
Director, Descendants Project
Louisiana
Russell Armstrong
Senior Director, Campaigns and Advocacy, Hip Hop Caucus
Washington, DC
Jess Conard
Appalachia Director, Beyond Plastics
East Palestine, Ohio
Stefania Tomaskovic
Director, Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience
Texas
Sandy Field
Chair, Save Our Susquehanna
Pennsylvania
Lisa DePaoli
Communications Director, Center for Coalfield Justice
Pennsylvania
Julie Boetger
Board Member, Buckeye Environmental Network
Ohio
Maury Johnson
Co-founder, Friends of the Narrows of Hans Creek
West Virginia
Jennifer Hadayia
Executive Director, Air Alliance Houston
Texas
Juan Parras
Director, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services
Texas
Lea Harper
Managing Director, FreshWater Accountability Project
Ohio
Heather Hulton VanTassel
Executive Director, Three Rivers Waterkeeper
Pennsylvania
Tina Katsanos
Environmental Justice Committee Chair, Charlotte Mecklenburg NAACP
North Carolina
Mr. Steven Patterson
Member, Save Our Susquehanna
Pennsylvania
Cheyenne Rendon
Senior Policy Director, Society of Native Nations
Texas
Lyndsay Deitrick
Engagement Coordinator, Alliance for Appalachia
Virginia
Desmond Johnnie
Regional Director, Beyond Petrochemicals
Louisiana
Peggy Berry
CEO, Thrive_At_Life: Working Solutions
Ohio
Swami Dayananda
Swamy (Clergy), Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville
Virginia
Hilary Flint
Director of Communications/Community Engagement
Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community
Campaign Specialist, Clean Air Action
New York
Mike Stout
National Director, Izaak Walton League of America, Harry Enstrom chapter
Iowa
April Peebler
Executive Director, Heirs to Our Ocean
California
Ted Glick
Organizer, Beyond Extreme Energy
New Jersey
Ms. Sandra Heim
Member, Climate Reality Project
Pennsylvania
Peter Bella
Member, Climate Reality Project
Texas
Mr. Samuel Dickey
Ohio
Ms. Ruth Hardy
Ohio
Patricia Dunbar
Ohio
Robert Gee
Storyteller
East Palestine, Ohio
Mr. Matthew Nemeth
Pennsylvania Action on Climate
Pennsylvania
Allen Johnson
Coordinator, Christians For The Mountains
West Virginia
Katherine Duffy
Pennsylvania
David Rebuck
Aquatic Biologist, Save Our Susquehanna
Pennsylvania
Barbara Wekesser
Treasurer, Cherokee Concerned Citizens
Mississippi
Beka Economopolous
Executive Director, Natural History Museum
Washington
Alyssa Portaro
Founder/Director, Habitat for Recovery
Louisiana
Mrs. Julie Farrell
Massachusetts
Barbara W. Brandom, MD
Coordinating Committee Member, TIAA-Divest!
Pennsylvania
Timothea Deeter
Community Organizer, River Valley Organizing
East Palestine, Ohio
Lori Babbey
Member, FaCT. Faith Communities for Sustainable Future
Ohio
Eric Weltman
Senior Organizer, Food & Water Watch
New York
Sherri Mackenstein
Beaver County Marcellus Awareness
Pennsylvania
Margaret Stange
West Virginia
Sage Lincoln
Legal Fellow, Clean Air Council
Pennsylvania
Misha Mayeur
Communications Director, Habitat Recovery Project/FISH
New York
Kip Armstrong
Retired College Professor, Bucknell University
Pennsylvania
Emy Rodriguez
US Program Manager, Plastic Solutions Fund
New Jersey
Cara Cook
Director of Programs, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
Maryland
Ava Holmes
Director, Halt the Harm
New York
Tamara Freeze
Store Manager
East Palestine, Ohio
Ms. S Lynch
Pennsylvania
Glenn Olcerst
General Counsel, Rail Pollution Pittsburgh (RP3)
Pennsylvania
Patricia Popple
Project Outreach: The Frac Sand Sentinel
Wisconsin
Bridge Rauch
Environmental Justice Organizer, Clair Air Coalition of Western New York
New York
Hilary O’Toole
Executive Director
Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community
Pennsylvania
Christopher Albright
Organizer, Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers
East Palestine, Ohio
Lee McNew
Social Media and Communications Coordinator, Clean Air Council
Pennsylvania
Shannon Gregory
Executive Director and Riverkeeper, Satilla Riverkeeper
Georgia
Vince Shivers
Ohio
Shannon Smith
Executive Director, FracTracker Alliance
Pennsylvania
Jay Notartomaso
Founder, NEPA Green Coalition
Pennsylvania
Grace Reed
Scientist, Northeastern University
California
Robin Schneider
Executive Director, Texas Campaign for the Environment
Texas – born in Ithaca, NY
Tamela Trussel
Founder, Move Past Plastics
Pennsylvania
Andrew Stuhl
Associate Professor, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Bucknell University
Pennsylvania
Karen Feridun
Founder, Berks Gas Truth
Co-Founder, Better Path Coalition
Pennsylvania
Janalee Stock
Founding member, Athens Re Think Plastics
Ohio
Gillian Graber
Executive Director, Protect PT
Pennsylvania
Michael Schroeder
President, Quittapahilla Watershed Association
Pennsylvania
Dr Karen Elias
No False Solutions PA
Pennsylvania
Ann Pinca
President, Lebanon Pipeline Awareness
Pennsylvania
Edith Abeyta
Co-Founder, North Braddock Residents For Our Future
Pennsylvania
Ivan Ussach
Director, Miller River Watershed Council
Massachusetts
Dianne Peterson
Steering Committee Member, PASUP
Pennsylvania
Stacey Magda
Managing Organizer, Mountain Watershed Association
Pennsylvania
Chris DiGuilio
Environmental Chemist, Physicians for Social Responsibility PA
Pennsylvania
Penny Arts
Retired Railroad Electrician, Norfolk Southern
Virginia
Andrea Honore
Massachusetts
Susan Sakash
Grants Manager, Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Louisiana
Tonyehn Verkitus
Executive Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility PA
Pennsylvania
Connie Fitzsimmons
Third Act
Virginia
Marialuisa Perez
Heir to Our Oceans
New York
Keanu Arpels-Josiah
Policy Co-Lead, Fridays for Future NYC
New York
Frank Blake
Volunteer, impacted by plastic production
Texas
Haley Schultz
Concern Citizen
Texas
Patrice Tomcik
National Field Director, Moms Clean Air Force
Pennsylvania
Roseanna Sacco
Chairperson, Preserve Monroe
West Virginia
Cynthia Munley
Treasurer, Mothers Out Front Roanoke
Virginia
Rachel Herman
Massachusetts
Gwendolyn Jones
Director/Founder, Climate Conversation Brazoria County
Texas
Carmen Cavezza
Climate Justice Organizer, CEER
Texas
Kathy Crowe
Member, SOBE Concerned Citizens
Ohio
Barbara Clifford
No False Solutions
Pennsylvania
Maureen McCarthy
Founder, FoCo Trash Mob
Colorado
Jan Dell
Independent Engineer, The Last Beach Cleanup
California
Craig Stevens
Founder, Patriots From The Oil & Gas Shale
Pennsylvania
