WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. By Mayor Joseph Delfino. August 31, 2005: The Mayor of the City of White Plains responds to his challenger, Dennis Power, who in a news release chided the Mayor for not signing on to an anti- global warming initiative:
Mayor Joseph Delfino. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
John, I would appreciate the opportunity to respond to the statements made
by Mr. Power regarding the environment.
Thanks
Mr. Power’s charges are without merit. No one from the organization that Mr.
Power is referring to ever contacted me about participating in this noble
cause. I truly wish Mr. Power had simply picked up the phone and called me
about this letter rather than accusing me of not caring about the
environment. I have always been a proponent of environmental protection
initiatives and will continue to advocate for preservation of our vital
resources. I recently received the endorsement of the New York League of
Conservation Voters (NYLCV), because of my proven commitment to preserving
and protecting the environment.
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Most recently, I joined with more than 140 Mayors from across the United
States in signing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which was
spearheaded by Mayor Greg Nickles of Seattle, WA. The agreement was passed
unanimously at the June 2005 National Meeting and has since garnered more
than 30 additional signatories. The agreement calls upon local
municipalities to take a more proactive approach towards environmental
protection. The agreement is a natural fit for the City of White Plain as we
have instituted numerous policies aimed at protecting the environment.
In fact, my administration has implemented the strongest environmental
program in the history of our city. My open space initiative has resulted in
the acquisition of numerous parcels throughout White Plains including the
D'Elia property which is a 6 acre parcel of environmentally sensitive land
that was slated for development. This purchase was the first time in decades
that the City had bought land for open space preservation and we have
continued acquiring other parcels. To date we have acquired more than 44
acres of open space.
I was also able to obtain unanimous support for the first ever open space
policy that protects natural resources and endangered species in White
Plains. In fact, environmentalists have called my Environmental Protection
Initiative one of the best in Westchester County. Additionally, the City of
White Plains has won awards for our alternative fuel vehicle program. Our
fleet includes nearly forty cars, trucks, and pieces of off-road equipment
which run on ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG) and battery electric
power, and we are one of a handful of fleets in New York with actual
emissions reduction documentation.
We also established a citywide ordinance which prohibits the idling of a
diesel vehicle for more than three minutes. To insure our own compliance
with this rule, all medium and heavy duty Dept. of Public Works vehicles are
equipped with anti-idling devices which electronically shut off the engine
if they sense that the truck is not moving, nor performing stationary
power-take-off work.
We have also put into place environmental safeguards which require outside
developers and contractors to implement similar practices for their
construction vehicles (i.e., use of alternative fuels, ultra low sulfur
diesel, and latest technology diesel engine controls and emission reduction
devices). Before I was elected Mayor, very little was done in the area of
environmental protection in White Plains.
Working together with environmental groups, the Common Council, and members
of the community, we were able to make a real difference. It is that same
spirit of cooperation that will enable us to continue making real strides in
the future.
Mayor Joseph Delfino
