Gennaro's bill doesn't require a specific amount of overflow reduction or a target for water quality improvement, and lacks any mechanism for City Council to amend or reject whatever plan the Bloomberg administration ultimately proposes.
But environmentalists hailed the bill's passage as a victory because it imposes a strict timeline, requires regular reporting, forces the city to look closely at "green infrastructure" and focuses not just on voluntary incentives but also hard, legal requirements for stormwater management. "If we want to get water quality improved, we've got to make some really hard decisions," says Gennaro. "We can't wish it into existence."
Backers also hail the process that produced the bill. "It's a real victory for the grassroots groups that have been working for decades for water quality in New York City," says Rob Crauderueff, the sustainable alternatives coordinator at Sustainable South Bronx, one of the organizations in the S.W.I.M. (Storm Water Infrastructure Matters) Coalition that has pushed for higher water quality standards. "This is a really significant step forward for how the city can work with community groups to green the city," he adds. "It's an important framework."
