NEW YORK STATE — Voters across New York State are being asked to vote “yes” or “no” on a ballot proposal to put $4.2 billion toward efforts to mitigate environmental damage and the effects of climate change.
If approved, the legislatively referred bond measure for this week’s election would authorize the state to issue that amount in general obligation bonds for the purpose of “making environmental improvements that preserve, enhance, and restore New York’s natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change.”
Titled the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, the government proposal calls for the funding of “environmental protection, natural restoration, resiliency, and clean energy” capital projects.
As proposed, the environmental bond measure would have up to $1.5 billion devoted to climate change mitigation projects, at least $1.1 billion distributed for restoration and flood risk reduction, up to $650 million for open space land conservation and recreation, and at least another $650 million for water quality improvement and resilient infrastructure.
