Letter from Nationwide Environmental Groups to Gov. Hochul: Pass the Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129-B/A.3351-B)

Dear Governor Hochul,

On behalf of our organizations, and our hundreds of thousands of members in New York and across the country, we are reaching out with an urgent plea to make New York a national climate leader in this moment of crisis.

With Donald Trump’s recent election, the nation faces a renewed threat of federal inaction and even intentional undermining of existing climate policy. This makes it critical that New York steps forward with decisive action to protect our communities, our economy, and the planet.

It’s time to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act.

By signing this act, you have the chance to pass one of the most impactful pieces of state climate legislation in the nation. As co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, you have spoken of your commitment to advancing climate leadership. Now, in the face of federal rollbacks, the Climate Change Superfund Act will stand as a bold testament to New York’s dedication to those principles.

As you said in response to the election, “The New York climate agenda doesn’t pause for elections… The U.S. Climate Alliance and its governors filled the void of leadership during President-elect Trump’s first term and Americans can be assured we’re prepared to fill it again. Together, we’ll tap every ounce of our experience and authority to protect America’s progress and press forward.”

The clearest way to make good on those words is to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act sitting on your desk. The New York Legislature voted overwhelmingly in support of it. 70% of New York voters support the measure and over 400 national, state and regional environmental, faith, labor, youth and community groups support it. New York’s Congressional delegation has expressed its support. Governor Phil Scott (R-VT) allowed a similar bipartisan bill in Vermont to become law. Failing to sign the bill would be the opposite of climate leadership.

The Climate Change Superfund Act is especially timely as climate impacts worsen across New York and the country, with extreme weather events and climate-related disasters escalating in both frequency and intensity. The costs of climate-related disasters are quickly outpacing available resources, putting the burden on working families. FEMA, the nation’s disaster relief agency, is stretched thin and running out of funds, leaving states to shoulder much of the burden of recovery, a problem that the president-elect has publicly committed to making worse.

Without additional revenue, New York will struggle to fund essential relief and resilience efforts needed to protect residents from the impacts of these disasters and secure a safer future for all New Yorkers. The Climate Change Superfund Act would ensure that the industries responsible for the climate crisis bear a fair share of these costs, generating critical revenue for New York’s relief and resilience projects. This approach will not only protect taxpayers from additional financial burden – making it a critical policy to tackle the affordability crisis – but also bolster our ability to prepare for and respond to climate impacts.

Governor Hochul, this bill offers New York an historic opportunity to lead the way by making polluters pay. Our groups stand united in urging you to sign the Climate Change Superfund Act into law, recognizing it as one of the most powerful and consequential pieces of state climate legislation in the country today. As the climate crisis intensifies, so too does our need for bold, effective action. We know you understand the stakes, and we ask for your leadership on this. Together, we can make New York a model for climate justice, resilience, and polluter accountability.

Sincerely,

Sunrise Movement
Third Act
Greenpeace USA
Public Citizen
Food & Water Watch
Energy Justice Law and Policy Center
The Climate Reality Project
GreenFaith
Friends of the Earth US
Seneca Lake Guardian
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Gas Free Seneca
Strong Economy for All
Popular Democracy
ClimateVoice, a project of Tides Center
North American Climate, Conservation and Environment(NACCE)
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Occupy Bergen County
Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc.
Rachel Carson Council
The People’s Justice Council
Vessel Project of Louisiana
Alabama Interfaith Power & Light
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative
Earth Ethics, Inc.
Fox Valley Citizens for Peace & Justice (Illinois)
Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE)
TIAA-Divest!
Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War
Divest NJ
Ocean Conservation Research
UUJEC
Worcester Congregations for Climate and Environmental Justice
Property Rights and Pipeline Center
Climate Action California
Indivisible California Green Team
350Juneau
chilli.club
350Hawaii
Oil and Gas Action Network
SoCal 350 Climate Action
350NYC
Terra Advocati
Seeding Sovereignty
SanDiego350
tUrn Climate Crisis Awareness & Action
Churches United For Fair Housing
Climate Defenders
198 methods
Sustainable Mill Valley
350 Triangle
350 Bay Area Action
INOCHI / Safe Energy Project
350 Conejo / San Fernando Valley
Elders Climate Action
Marilyn legislative coalition- Climate Justice Wing
Vermont Public Interest Research Group
Climate Hawks Vote
350
Third Act Upstate New York
Climate Organizing Hub
Long Island Progressive Coalition
NY State Council of Churches
Santa Cruz Climate Action Network
Center for Biological Diversity
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Center for Biological Diversity
350 Bay Area Action
Green New Deal Network
Surfrider Foundation
Save Ohio Parks
The Phoenix Group
chilli.club
350 Chicago
Stand.earth
Brighter Green
Oxfam America
Human Impact Partners
Vote Climate
Third Act Sacramento
Climate Families NYC
Empower our Future
Clean Energy Action
CO Dem. Party – Energy and Environment Initiative
Peoples Climate Movement – NY
GreenFaith
LittleSis/Public Accountability Initiative
ClimateMama
Green America
San Francisco Bay Physicians for social Responsibility
350 Seattle
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Maine
Alliance of Maine Health Professionals for Climate Action
SAFE Cities with Stand.earth
350 Montgomery County
350 Milwaukee
Elders Climate Action (ECA) Northern California (NorCal) Chapter
Elders Climate Action (ECA) Southern California (SoCal) Chapter
Extreme Weather Survivors
Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Santa Cruz
TIAA-Divest!
Fridays For Future Orange County
Alliance For Just Money