Environment
Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition
In the 111th Congress (2009-2010), Rep. Israel and Rep. Jay Inslee of Washington started the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC). Rep. Israel continues to serve as the co-chair of SEEC in the 112th Congress (2011-2012). This House Caucus has more than 45 members and is leading the way on the House of Representative's clean energy, climate change, and environment agendas. Visit the SEEC website.
Long Island Sound
One of Rep. Israel's priorities in Congress has been to preserve and protect Long Island's greatest natural resource - Long Island Sound.
In 2006, Rep. Israel passed the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act, which authorizes funding to identify and protect land along Long Island Sound. In 2005, Rep. Israel helped reauthorize the Long Island Sound Restoration Act, which authorizes funds to improve the water quality of the Sound. The funding amounts for the programs authorized by each law are determined by the Appropriations Committee.
Since its formation 11,000 years ago, Long Island Sound has sustained a diversity of birds, wildlife and marine organisms, including the endangered Piping Plover, while also serving as a recreational magnet for tens of thousands of Americans. Today, more than 8 million people live in the Sound’s watershed with 20 million people living within 50 miles of its shores. The Sound alone contributes more than $5 billion to the regional economy through sport and commercial fishing, recreation and tourism.
Earth Day 2009
On April 22, 2009, Rep. Israel supported the passage of two key environmental bills: The Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act (H.R.1580) and the Green Energy Education Act (H.R.957).
The Green Energy Education Act authorizes the Department of Energy to partner with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide grants to institutions of higher education for training of engineers and architects in high-performance building design and clean energy.
The Electronic Device Recycling Research and Development Act authorizes the EPA to award grants that will reduce the environmental impact of electronic devices that are thrown away. The grants will also promote the recycling of these devices through R&D projects. This bill also authorizes the EPA to award grants for curriculum development in the areas of recycling electronic devices and enabling environmentally friendly designs.
Climate Change
Rep. Israel supports efforts to address global climate change. On June 26, 2009, Rep. Israel voted in favor of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454). This legislation will reduce carbon emissions, increase use of renewable fuels, and create new jobs by investing in alternative energy and energy efficiency technologies. For Rep. Israel's letter to constituents about why he supported this legislation. View updates on this bill as it progresses.
Upholding Clean Air and Water Standards
The quality of air and water affects the health and well-being of our families and children. For the past three decades, the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act has substantially improved air quality and made an increasing number of our nation's waterways swimmable, fishable, and drinkable. Rep. Israel will continue fighting proposals that weaken three decades of successful bipartisan efforts to protect us from harmful levels of pollution.
Protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
In the 110th Congress, Rep. Israel joined Rep. Markey as a cosponsor of legislation to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska from oil exploration, which will not yield enough oil to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, now or in the future. Drilling in ANWR will only threaten a fragile ecosystem that we have already designated for special protection.
Helpful Links
More on Environment
Melville, NY — Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY-03) announced that the National Science Foundation will award more than $5 million in grants to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, SUNY Old Westbury, and Applied Visions, Inc. The grants will allow for key research in several distinct fields: genome research in plants, improving STEM education, and cybersecurity education.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) released the following statement after receiving a response from The Pokémon Company notifying the Members that Nianitic, the developer of Pokémon Go, had removed the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) from the game:
Melville, NY. — Today, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) released the following statement after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notified Village of Asharoken officials that in order for the beach restoration project to move forward, five public access points would be required. The Army Corps also notified Asharoken officials that the inclusion of public parking areas would be mandatory at each access point – a requirement that was previously deemed unnecessary by Army Corps officials.
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) sent a bipartisan letter to the developer and publisher of the popular mobile game Pokémon Go, urging them to remove the PokéStops at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) that encourages Pokémon Go users to play the game inside the museum. Reps. Israel, Meehan and Deutch are appointed members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Washington, DC –Reps. Steve Israel (NY-03), Nita Lowey (NY-17) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced $10 million in funding for Long Island Sound was included in the Fiscal Year 2017 Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. The nearly $6.1 million increase in funding for Fiscal Year 2017 will be used for projects to improve water quality, habitat restoration, and water quality monitoring to improve the health of Long Island Sound.
Washington, DC– Representative Steve Israel (NY-03), member of the House of Representatives Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today completed a rulemaking process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to institute a near-total ban on the domestic commercial trade of African elephant ivory.
Melville, NY— Today, Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone joined Suffolk County health experts and local elected officials to call on Congress to pass an emergency funding package that will provide New York with the adequate resources it needs to combat the Zika virus. Last week the House passed a bill allocating only $622 million in funding to last through September – a third of the $1.9 billion that what was requested by President Obama and administration health experts.
Washington, D.C. –Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) announced the introduction of the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, legislation that would require ingredient labeling for domestic, commercial and institutional cleaning products. Under current law, cleaning products are not required to disclose ingredients.
Washington, DC. –Today, Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) and members of the bipartisan Quiet Skies Caucus announced their support for H.R. 5075, the Airplane Impacts Mitigation (AIM) Act of 2016. Introduced by Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), the AIM Act will help identify the health impacts of prolonged exposure to airplane noise.
Melville, NY—Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) is urging caution to families and spring break travelers planning to visit areas that have been affected by the Zika virus outbreak. According to the World Health Organization, the mosquito-borne virus is “spreading explosively” across the Americas, right as peak spring break travel season begins.