Original story published by The Post Star
November 16, 2016, By Maury Thompson
A coalition of environmental and construction industry groups on Wednesday urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allocate $800 million for water and sewer infrastructure in the 2017-18 state budget, and to make permanent the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, a temporary program established in 2015.
Federal data shows that more than infrastructure improvement projects costing $53 billion are needed in New York over the next 20 years, the greatest documented need of any state, according to the coalition.
"Citizens have the basic expectation of government that the water they drink and recreate in is clean and healthy," said Liz Moran, of Environmental Advocates of New York. "This responsibility has become a challenge due to old, dilapidated pipes hurting our communities, our waterways, and making it harder to grow local economies."
"Communities throughout the region cannot do it alone and desperately need the support of New York State to meet the challenge," said Ross Pepe, president of the Construction Industry Council.
Other groups in the coalition are as follows:
- Hudson Riverkeeper, Save the Sound, Adirondack Counccl, Reinvent Albany, New York League of Conservation Voters, Audubon New York, Scenic Hudson.
