Jamaica Bay, NY – Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) announced that her bill (A.453/S.2205), which would increase the standard of materials placed into Jamaica Bay’s borrow pits, has passed both the Assembly and the Senate. This bill would alter the criteria for filling the Jamaica Bay borrow pits in order to comply with criteria set by the federal government for ocean dumping. Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr sponsored the bill in the New York State Senate.

“The priority and necessity of this bill is clear – my colleagues in the Assembly and the Senate see the value of this bill, and the importance of protecting our environment,” Pheffer Amato said. “Both houses have passed this bill for three sessions in a row, only for Governor Cuomo to veto it. It’s more important than ever to invest in Jamaica Bay and ensure that our standards are up to the highest standards, and we can never turn back. I want to thank Senator Addabbo for his partnership on this legislation, and to the Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and numerous civic leaders and organizations for their advocacy.”

“In recent years, Jamaica Bay has seen a resurgence of marine wildlife due to cleaner and healthier waters. However, our efforts to protect the bay is not over,” Addabbo said. “Bill S.2205/A.453 seeks to further protect Jamaica Bay by strengthening the protections of the bay’s waters with stricter restrictions on what kind of materials are allowed to be used to fill the borrow pits. We hope to see this bill pass so future generations can benefit from this vital waterway. I want to thank The Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers and community leaders for working on this issue and Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato for sponsoring this bill successfully in the Assembly. We hope Governor Cuomo will sign this important bill into law.”

This bill now awaits the signature of Governor Andrew Cuomo before becoming law. Governor Cuomo has vetoed this bill three times in past legislative sessions.