Good Morning, Brooklyn: Friday, March 18, 2022

March 18, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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NO BUSINESS WITH ENTITIES SUPPORTING RUSSIA: A new Executive Order that Governor Kathy Hochul issued yesterday, and that builds on her ongoing efforts to support Ukraine, will prohibit state agencies and authorities from contracting with entities that continue to do business in Russia. Earlier this month, Governor Hochul announced actions to strengthen the Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) enforcement of sanctions against Russia, including the expedited procurement of additional blockchain analytics technology.

Last month, February, Gov. Hochul had ordered all state agencies and authorities to divest public funds from Russia and stop doing business with Russian companies.

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GOVERNOR DEPLOYS 20-PLUS MILLION TESTING KITS

As part of a measure to bolster ongoing preparedness efforts, Gov. Kathy Hochul is deploying more than 20 million COVID-19 tests across New York State, including NYCHA residences in Brooklyn. Testing kits will be placed in a central NYCHA location (to be determined) as NYCHA management will handle the distribution of COVID-19 tests, four per household.

Tests will also be distributed to nursing homes, adult care facilities, schools, senior centers, food banks, and elected officials for local communities.

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ENVIRONMENT: SUNSET INDUSTRIAL SITE CLEANUP: A Public Comment period has opened regarding the proposed site cleanup of the Sunset Industrial Park Site in Brooklyn, (#C224148), particularly about a proposal to address contamination at a brownfield site on 20th St. The Department of Environmental Conservation’s Draft Remedial Work Plan spells out the first several steps as excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 250 cubic yards of soil from the areas of concern, collection and analysis of documentation end-point soil samples and post-remedial groundwater samples to evaluate the effectiveness of the remedy; placement of a cover system, including a demarcation layer over areas without hardscape; and installation and operation of a dewatering system, including treatment, as required.

The Department of Environmental Conservation, which is accepting public comment through April 30, has provided an online fact sheet https://www.dec.ny.gov/data/der/factsheet/c224148cuprop.pdf

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ENVIRONMENT: MEEKER AVE. PLUME SITE IN N. BROOKLYN: The Meeker Avenue Plume site in Greenpoint/Williamsburg will be added to the Superfund National Priorities List, the Environmental Protection Agency announced yesterday. EPA’s next step, in which it pledges to work with the community, will be to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study to determine the nature and extent of contamination, assess potential threats to human health and the environment, and evaluate various cleanup options based on the information collected.

A public comment period for the site ended in December.

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REP. MALONEY APPLAUDS EPA’S MEEKER PLUME SITE INCLUSION: U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-12^th District) celebrated yesterday’s EPA inclusion of the Meeker Avenue Plume to the National Priorities List. The Meeker Avenue Plume refers to several plumes of chlorinated solvents in the soils and groundwater beneath Greenpoint and East Williamsburg believed to be the result of dry-cleaning and metalworking businesses dumping hazardous waste and engaging in irresponsible manufacturing practices for decades.

Last October, Congressmember Maloney submitted a comment to the EPA urging them to add the Meeker Avenue Plume to the NPL, and successfully advocated for nearby Newtown Creek to be designated a Superfund site. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $3.5 billion in the Superfund Remedial Program and reinstates the Superfund chemical excise taxes, making it one of the largest investments in American history to address legacy pollution.

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ENVIRONMENT: GOUNARDES SPONSORS CLIMATE INVESTMENT: Parts of Southern Brooklyn are expected to be uninhabitable within the next century as the sea level rises, predicts an article on the website Technically. New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-22), the Bay Ridge Environmental Group (BREG), and southern Brooklyn community members will rally this Sunday, March 20 at noon, at the American Veterans Memorial Pier, in support of the Climate and Community Investment Act (CCIA).

The CCIA, which Sen. Gounardes co-sponsors in the New York State Senate, would create and sustain over 150,000 new jobs in the green energy sector. Included in the CCIA are earmarked funds to strengthen southern Brooklyn’s protection against storms worsened by climate change, after hundreds of southern Brooklynites lost homes — and some even lost lives — in Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

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ENVIRONMENT: ENDING LEAD POISONING: The EPA must strengthen protections against lead poisoning, particularly for children living in low-income communities and communities of color, says New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is leading a coalition of 19 attorneys general. The coalition argues that EPA could bolster its existing plans by taking various steps to target childhood lead poisoning, such as expanding resources to better enforce laws, creating new policies to address hazardous waste sites and drinking water.

Among the other recommendations: Adopting federal regulations requiring testing of water and remediation of lead service lines and lead plumbing fixtures in public, charter, and private schools, and in childcare centers; and expanding multi-language informational campaigns and blood lead testing programs.

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RESEARCHING TREATMENTS FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS: A scientist at NYU-Tandon School of Engineering is finding solutions to treating Osteoarthritis (OA), a progressive condition affecting the lives of more than 32 million Americans. U.S. National Science Foundation-funded researchers based at NYU, including NYU Tandon’s Jin Kim Montclare (CBE), who identified the molecular mechanism and therapeutic payload for delivering pharmacologic treatment directly to affected joints, effectively halting the onset and progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

“We have developed a unique protein-based gel capable of minimally invasive, sustained delivery of prospective therapeutics in OA,” said Montclare.

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BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL MOVES UP IN PLACEMENT RATINGS: Brooklyn Law School jumped up 12 spots on Law.com ranks the 50 law schools that sent the highest percentage of J.D.s into associate positions at the largest 100 law firms in the country, with its latest stats on New York law schools. Brooklyn College moved from number 49 to number 37, and St. John’s University in Queens made it back onto the list after missing the cut last year.

For the ninth consecutive year, Columbia Law School topped the list, with 285 —nearly 64% — of its recent graduate class now working in Big Law.

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IPS NEWS: UFT ENDORSES BRIAN CUNNINGHAM: The United Federation of Teachers endorsed Brian Cunningham in the Special Election for Assembly District 43 (Crown Heights, parts of Bed-Stuy) in this coming Tuesday’s Special Election. He had already received endorsements from Mayor Eric Adams, the Brooklyn Democratic Party, State Senator Kevin Parker, NYC Council Member Rita Joseph, former Assembly Member Karim Camara, former Assembly Member & DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake, former NYC Council Member Robert Cornegy, New York Progressive Action Network and the Brooklyn Progressive Alliance.

“Brian went to our public schools and has seen firsthand the obstacles created by lack of resources” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Now, he’s committed to advocating for increased funding and support to allow students and teachers to thrive.