Environment Wins in New York Budget

April 03, 2009
News Reports

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Environment Wins in New York Budget

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With the Senate passing the final pieces of the state budget for 2009-2010 on Friday, April 3, environmental protection funding and expansion of bottle bill deposit requirements have been confirmed. The approved budget will update New York’s bottle deposit law to include water bottles and reclaim more than $100 million in unclaimed bottle deposits. It also maintains the Environmental Protection Fund’s stable funding formula by keeping its current revenue source—Real Estate Transfer Tax revenue. The EPF is slated to receive $222 million in the year ahead. The EPF funds open space protection, water and air protection efforts across the state, and other environmental protection initiatives.