New York City Must Ensure Successful Implementation of Its Landmark Building Emissions Law
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Make $87.50 in 3 minutes by reporting idling trucks in New York City
Ernest Welde says he’s been chased, swung at and even pushed by truck drivers, who disapprove of his side gig. From his phone, Welde records trucks that are parked for longer than three minutes with their engines still running, an offense in New York City.
“Every time I go out of my house, I am prepared for an assault,” Welde, an environmental attorney by day, told CNBC. “You have to go out expecting there’s going to be a confrontation.”
Welde’s hunt for idling trucks started because of an online citizen reporting program the NYC Department of Environmental Protection launched in 2019. It’s called the Citizens Air Complaint Program, and it allows ordinary New Yorkers to receive a monetary reward for their “enforcement efforts.”
Emissions from idling gasoline and diesel motor vehicle engines are known contributors to health problems, including asthma, respiratory issues and cardiovascular harm, according to the agency’s website.
To participate in the program, citizen reporters need to shoot a video showing a commercial vehicle idling for more than three minutes. They then log on to the city’s Idling Complaint System to file and track their complaint.
According to the DEP, the fine for a first-time offender is $350, and more for repeat offenders. A 25-percent cut — or $87.50 — is paid to the person who shot the video and filed the complaint.
New York City is making a multibillion-dollar bet on Canadian hydropower. Some say the wager won’t pay off. – POLITICO
The debate underscores the challenges state and local officials face in greening energy grids, even in blue states like New York that have prioritized fighting climate change. The city has only become more reliant on fossil fuels since the state passed a law requiring it to cut emissions 40 percent by 2030. How it will reverse that trend and clean the grid is an unsettled question.