New York, NY – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is standing by regulations that will force New York City and other municipalities to spend billions of dollars on projects that provide virtually no health benefits, the Bloomberg administration said in a letter to the agency’s chief.
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“America’s cities are seeking a rational policy developed through constructive engagement but are being largely ignored,” Deputy Mayor for Operations Stephen Goldsmith and the commissioner of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, Caswell Holloway, wrote to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
Mr. Holloway said EPA regulations are “unnecessarily driving up” the cost of water in New York City. Water rates have increased by 134% since Mr. Bloomberg took office in 2002 and more than 91% since 2006. Between fiscal years 2002 and 2010, the city has spent, at the behest of federal mandates, nearly $15 billion on capital projects for its water and wastewater system. Roughly 1% of that was paid for by the federal government, city officials said.
The 15-page letter, provided to The Wall Street Journal by the city, accuses the EPA of failing to follow through on President Barack Obama’s call for a comprehensive and meaningful review of the agency’s rules and regulations.
Brendan Gilfillan, an EPA spokesman, said the agency will consider the city’s comments “as we will all comments” prior to finalizing the regulations. He added: “EPA is aware that cities across the country are facing difficult budget situations, and we have worked closely with New York City and others to identify innovative, cost-effective solutions—like expanded use of green infrastructure—to protect Americans’ water.”
I’m not surprised at all. What didn’t go up 100% by him?
Capital projects don’t justify rate increases – they justify temporary surcharges. The rate increase is forever, whereas the capital expenditure is not.
But I’m guessing that is a feature for the DEP, not a bug.
How about Bloomberg’s imposed regulations and cost on the NYC residents?
Even these rate increases are not enough. They have ignored the water system for decades. They need to be spending more to upgrade and expand our water system and rates will have to increase further. Also, the plan to eliminate the master metering of apartment buildings is long overdue. By 2014, all apartment buildings will have to install individual water meter for each unit and they will have to pay their water bills separately each month like the rest of us. This will substantially result in lower water useage from people who now have no incentive to conserve since they don’t pay the water bill.
what about property taxes and everything else ??? watch him move out of ny when he’s no more mayor ‘cuz of being too expensive
let’s compile a list of where the city is robbing us. what services are we getting for our taxes. roads? a forever increasing amount of bridges are being tolled, existing tolls have been skyrocketing. mta increases as much as possible and as often as possible, firefighting fees (accident) are on the table, floating ideas of taxing every highway, wait! wasn’t the gas tax supposed to cover that? water bills are up, sales tax is up, every professions tax is up, fines are up, parking is stolen in order to increase fines, every utility bill is up and guess what, mta taxes (union paychecks) are infested in every piece of paper you get in da mail! gotcha tickets is the name of the game! doesn’t anybody realise the govt is out after our money, then to arrest us when we do make a dime? (rubashkin)
Reply to many of the above posters: these are regulations from the EPA a federal agency over which bloomberg has no control and in actuality is fighting the proposed hike as the articel states. The story head line is a bit misleading as due to EPA regulations water costs have gone up across the country since 2002 This has nothing at all to do with Bloomberg
And RE Taxes went up as much as 300%. What’s the excuse there? Also the EPA??????
seems that we continue to vote for the same bums over and over again we need to re take the city council time to vote tea party these democrats are taxing us to death on every level including shelly i never saw a tax i dont like as long as i am spending your money silver