To Read About How Governor Pataki Has Made New York State A Better Place To Live, Work And Raise A Family For All New Yorker’s...please choose one of the following options: Historical Record of Providing Quality Health Care Historic Investment & Innovation in Education

Leading the Nation in Preserving and Protecting our Environment

• On June 6, 2002, Governor Pataki received the early endorsement from the New York League of Conservation Voters -- the non-partisan political arm of New York's environmental community. Paul J. Elston, Chairman of the NYLCV Board of Directors, said, "The League's early endorsement is a recognition of Governor Pataki's outstanding record in protecting our natural resources and environment in New York. He is an exceptional environmental leader in New York and nationally. And he is the best environmental candidate to be our next Governor of New York." The NYLCV's endorsements are a valuable and respected resource for the more than 170,000 registered voters who are also members of environmental organizations.
  
  
• In June of this year, Governor Pataki received the "Spirit of the River Award" from Scenic Hudson, Inc. The Governor was given this award for his dedication to the Hudson Valley environment and particularly for his work in protecting and improving the Hudson River Estuary. Under Governor Pataki's leadership, the State has dedicated $185 million for the Hudson River Estuary as well as over $100 million to other projects on the Hudson River.
  
  
• Governor Pataki has protected over 300,000 acres of open space, including valuable areas like the Whitney and Champion International tracts in the Adirondacks, the Sterling Forest, the Croton Watershed and the Long Island Pine Barrens.
  
  
• Governor Pataki fully funded New York’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) investing more than $887 million to preserve open space, enhance parks and recreation areas, and boost recycling programs.
  
  
• Governor Pataki closed Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island-the last unlined landfill in New York. And under Governor Pataki, New York invested $120 million to close outdated leaking landfills across the State. And, this year, Governor Pataki proposed preserving one million acres of open space over the next decade.
  
  
• Governor Pataki continues to fight for comprehensive Superfund and brownfields legislation, proposing common sense reforms and incentives to encourage greater private investment in brownfields and hasten the clean up of contaminated sites.

• Governor Pataki enacted legislation to reduce acid rain by monitoring and controlling the sale of sulfur dioxide to out-of-state power plants. And our Governor has proposed the Acid Rain Initiative, which reduces acid rain components statewide-Nox by 20,000 tons and SO2 by 50 percent.
  
  
• Governor Pataki also initiated litigation to force upwind states to reduce pollution that causes acid rain in the Adirondacks and other sensitive areas of New York, and Governor Pataki signed legislation that requires schools to establish pesticide notification procedures to inform staff and parents of harmful pesticides.
  
  
• Under Governor Pataki, New York adopted the cleanest air standards in the country, the California Low Emission Vehicle II standards, for motor vehicles starting in model year 2004.

• Governor Pataki rallied New York voters to pass the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, providing $1.75 billion for environmental restoration.
  
  
• Governor Pataki united adversaries on the New York City watershed, which protects the water supply of 9 million New Yorkers, while ensuring the economic vitality of Upstate communities. Governor Pataki petitioned the federal government to designate the Hudson River as an American Heritage River. The Governor has committed $250 million to protect and restore it.