Assemblymember Pat Burke (D-Buffalo) announced that he has been appointed chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Oversight of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

“In the Assembly, we want to ensure that New York State is taking every possible step to promote sustainability and preserve our environment,” said Burke. “I’ll be working to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively to protect our state’s clean air, water and wildlife. Our actions now will determine our planet’s future.”

Burke’s commitment to protecting the environment precedes his election to the Assembly. As an Erie County legislator, he wrote and helped pass a local law to ban microbeads in cosmetic products, which can slip through sewage filters and end up polluting local waterways. His legislation was the first comprehensive microbeads plastic ban in the nation. He also led efforts to require pharmaceutical companies to cover the cost of disposing of unused medications.

Since entering the Assembly in January, Burke has proven to be a staunch advocate for environmental protection. He co-sponsored a measure to prohibit offshore drilling for oil and natural gas in New York’s coastal areas, which passed the Legislature earlier this year (A.2572). He’s also co-sponsoring the New York State Climate and Community Protection Act to address the impact of climate change on the state (A.3876).

As the new chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Department of Environmental Conservation, Burke will review the DEC’s usage of state budget funds as well as assess state environmental programs. The subcommittee also conducts hearings on the use of state funding to address New York’s environmental concerns.