At the June 2012 Board meeting, BCEQ will recognize three individuals who have helped further the quest for a safe, healthy environment in which to work and play in the Bronx:

• BCEQ Founder Helen C. Reel “Keeping it Reel” Formal Educator Award
• Gouverneur Morris Non-formal/Community Educator Award
• BCEQ Founder Theresa Lato Student Award

You can nominate people in any or all of the three categories (One nomination per form, please).

Send Awards Nomination Forms (BCEQ_EE_Letter_Award_Nom_Form’2012) to Dena Robins by May 20, 2012.

THURSDAY MARCH 22nd 6:00PM
HOSTOS COLLEGE ROOM B502
500 Grand Concourse

THURSDAY MARCH 29th 6:00PM
BRONX COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY LOUNGE
LANGUAGE HALL 2155 University Avenue

THURSDAY APRIL 5th 6:00PM
LEHMAN COLLEGE MUSIC BUILDING FACULTY LOUNGE
250 Bedford Park Boulevard West

SHOULD THIS BE THE HARLEM RIVER?
1. Industry and Infrastructure Separating the Community from the Waterfront.
2. Trash dumped in and around the River.
3. No Greenway along the River.
4. No Recreational Boat Access.
5. Raw Sewage Flowing Into the River.

Event Sponsors: Event Sponsors:  NPS, Harlem River Working Group, Pratt Institute, Trust for the Public Land, Partnerships for Parks

Join with your Neighbors to shape these new parkland developments and to make sure that they happen.

Who Should Come?  Residents, Students, Parents, Organizations, Runners, Bicyclists, Kayakers, Small Business Owners and Anyone who cares about our community and the Waterfront.

What Will Happen? * A Brief overview of the current Harlem River Plans and Projects. * Public Forum for Community Members. * What would you like to see done? * Help shape our new HARLEM RIVER VISIONING Document and the HARLEM RIVER.

on the occasion of its 40th Anniversary of its Annual Meeting

Present the 11th Annual Water Conference

EAST BRONX WATERFRONT:

40 YEARS AFTER THE CLEAN WATER ACT,

ACCESS, UPDATES & PROGRESS

Wednesday, March 14, 2012 from 4-7 pm
Soundview Park Field House
Btw Colgate and Story Avenues

Agenda

I. Welcome – Dart Westphal 4-4:15 pm

II. Membership Meeting – Joyce Hogi 4:15-45 pm

Break in program for networking and food

III. Report of Communities: 4:45-5:45 pm

Ferry Point, Pugsley Creek, Soundview, Hutchinson River, Pelham Bay

IV. Program: MWA and SOBRO Hutchinson BOA 6-7pm

Special thanks to Corporate Sponsor ConEdison

(1) November 17, 2011 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prepared for FreshDirect

FreshDirect Phase 1 Enviro Report for NYCIDA 

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8qEdzX5fireSHJaSU95b1JSRVNkbjFEYVlOa1l1dw

(2) December 15, 2011 Environmental Assessment Form, prepared on behalf of FreshDirect

FreshDirect Final Environmental Assessment for NYCIDA 

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8qEdzX5fireMDlsdjRMYmhUVFNFV1A0UlI4OWFyQQ

(3) Minutes of the February 14, 2012 NYCIDA/NYCEDC vote on the FreshDirect project (page 67 for “The Agency has determined that the proposed project, a Type I action, …. will not have a significant effect on the environment …….”)

NYCIDA Feb 2012 Board Book 

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8qEdzX5fireYTV5RlE5OFlRZi1pb3haTFI4V3lyZw

(4)  Memorandum of Understanding between FreshDirect and Borough President Ruben Diaz, issued after the Valentine’s Day Vote.

Borough President Diaz and BOEDC MOU 

http://bronxboropres.nyc.gov/pdf/mou-bronxbp-boedc-freshdirect.pdf

(5)  Lease between the NYDOT and Harlem River Yards Venture; and the NYDOT’s May 13, 1994 Record of Decision approving the FEIS (the environemntal study that purports to address the potential enrironmental impact of all possible activities at the Harlem River Yards for the enture 99 year duration of the lease)

NYSDOT lease between Harlem River Rail Ventures (Galesi Group) https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8qEdzX5fireMzAyZGFjMzQtY2Y1Yi00NWQ4LTg0OWUtYzhiZjg5ZDc4ZDJk/edit

1994 NYSDOT decision on the Yards as an intermodal transportation center:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B8qEdzX5firedGNCd2E0TFBRelNXODNITkhJSC1GZw

(6) Other EAS for the site 1998 NY Post HRY EAF (2)

FedEx_EA_Document 9-26-06

(7) Some interesting letters:  JMS+and+JES+Fresh+Direct+Letter

JMS+Letter+to+ESD

Harlem River Rail Yard Letter to NYSDOT – May 3, 2012[1]

(8)  Negative Declaration filed May 16, 2012 on Fresh Direct: http://www.dec.ny.gov/enb/20120516_not2.html

ENB – Region 2 Notices 5/16/2012

Negative Declaration
Bronx County (Bronx) – The New York City Industrial Development Agency, as lead agency, has determined that the proposed Fresh Direct LLC and U.T.F. Trucking Inc. will not have a significant adverse environmental impact. The action involves the straight-lease transaction (Industrial Incentive and Commercial Growth Programs) for the benefit of Fresh Direct, LLC and U.T.F. Trucking, Inc., which are engaged in food manufacturing and distribution, in connection with the construction of a new approximately 500,547 square foot industrial, manufacturing and distribution facility and the acquisition and/or leasing and installation of machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures and other tangible personal property all for use therein. In addition, there will be a satellite truck facility with an approximately 10,000 square foot maintenance building, a parking structure of 1 to 3 stories and another separate small satellite parking facility. The facility and these satellite facilities will be located on an approximately 130,680 square foot parcel of land and an approximately 562,856 square foot parcel of land. The financial assistance proposed to be conferred by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYC IDA) will consist of exemption from City real property taxes, deferral from City and State mortgage recording taxes and exemption from City and State sales and use taxes. In addition, the NYC IDA will also acquire vehicles, equipment and other assets that will be available to the facility occupants for use in connection with operations at the facility. Funding assistance in the form of tax credits, capital grants, loans and other incentives from City and State agencies, including from Empire State Development, are proposed to be provided for the project. The project is located between East 132nd Street and the Harlem River, and between Willis Avenue Bridge to the west and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the east, Bronx, New York.
Contact: Art Aguilar, New York City Economic Development Corporation, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038, Phone: (212) 618-5763 , E-mail: aaguilar@nycedc.com.

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LOCATION: Soundview Ecology Center. Soundview Park Field House between Colgate and Story
DATE: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 aka Pi day 3.14 ….. see the YouTube song
TIME: 4 to 7 p.m.
TOPIC: East Bronx Waterfront: 40 Years After the Clean Water Act, Access, Updates & Progress.

Con Edison is our corporate sponsor, making it possible for the delicious refreshments that will be served.
Please join us in this celebration. RSVP to rsvp@bceq.org, or call 646-462-4132 and leave a message.

Karen Argenti wore her BCEQ Button, sat with Mychael Johnson, on aisle/last row, and disappeared after God Bless The Bronx. (Hey, I stayed till the end, just ask John D who was watching; had to leave at the end, phone ran out of juice).

Both my Riverdale Reps were there. Once again I was disappointed that the State of Address mentioned lots of political attendees, but not our beloved Bronx Parks Commissioner. From what I know of Hector Aponte, he’s too modest to care. Playgrounds were mentioned.

The HSTHS Jazz Band played well, on a par with the MHS Latin Band that played at MB’s Address. The Jr.ROTColorGuard Cadets presented the flag to a standing audience. Then Pastor Wenzell Jackson belted out the Star Spangled Banner, BUT we never said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then Imam SSS from Musa Mosque gave the Invocation, reminding us that we all came from Adam & Eve. I was hoping for a YouTube Short such as MB presented. However, BPD showed some well photographed slides. The Honorable Rubin speaks well, i.e. no errs, umms, or y’knows. He likes to emphasize points with, “Getta’ Load of This…”. He mentioned Fresh Direct and Bronx Greenway, but not in the same segment. I brought a hand-made protest sign with me, but since there was no protest, I just held it up whenever the bright lights shone on the audience. I sat next to my radical fb Friends from the SBronx.

Linda Cox and I chatted briefly afterward.

Someone gave me some hope by saying a semi-reliable inside source indicated it’s not out of the question that we might get access to the Harlem Yards Waterfront? Keep it under your hat, if U get my drift? We Bronx-Eco-Activists should never be cowed by a “done deal”, if U know what I mean?

Support Bronx Eco-Environmental Vigilantists !

***mricle*** BCEQ Pres’Emeritus

This post was submitted by I-C LEVENBERG-ENGEL.

PDF - BCEQ WCS-NOAA Bronx Rivers 2012-02-09 rev

Word - BCEQ WCS-NOAA Bronx Rivers 2012-02-09 rev

documents to add:  WCS_NOAA_dl_110811 and Research Permit Online Application Form _ New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

The hearing is today at 10 am, Chauncy is going and you can watch it on your computer. (Meetings will be streamed live in audio and available on-demand for three business days following each meeting.)

BCEQ has prepared testimony BCEQ Harlem River Yards 020912 rev

So has the HRWG  HRWG IDA Fresh Direct 020912 (1)

Good Jobs NY has ten points final_10_reasons_to_sour_on_fresh_direct_1

Here is some background info

The IDA Application Fresh Direct Public Hearing Package

The budget amount Fresh Direct Funding 020912

The Oak Point Link Audit 1995 – ViabilityofOakPoint

A book about the mitigation – the Bronx Ecology: Blueprint for a New Environmentalism [Hardcover]

Allen Hershkowitz (Author), Maya Lin (Foreword)

Report on the Full Freight Access Program and Harlem River Intermodal Rail Yard Project Miller-FFAP

The whole thing is a big mess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call or Write to the IDA and ask for a postponement:

Written testimony can be submitted to: New York City Industrial Development Agency, Attn: Ms. Frances Tufano, 110 William Street, 5th Floor, New York, New York 10038, or you can call (212) 312-3598 to notify the Agency if you intend to make a statement.  For some reason they have no email?  Call then and ask for the email.