Bloomberg State of City Pledge to Green Dirty Heating Oil Will Cut Pollution Linked to Disease

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(New York, NY – January 20, 2010) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) praised Mayor Bloomberg for addressing the pressing issue of toxic heating oil in New York City during his State of the City speech this afternoon. The mayor pledged that his administration will be “greening the heating fuels used in our schools and big buildings.”

The mayor’s announcement follows an EDF report last month showing that just one percent of New York City’s buildings—those burning the dirtiest grades of heating oil—produce more pollution than all the city’s cars and trucks combined.

“Mayor Bloomberg’s pledge to green the dirtiest types of heating oil is one of the biggest steps New York can take to reduce soot pollution linked to asthma and heart disease,” said Isabelle Silverman, an attorney for Environmental Defense Fund. “The dirtiest grades of heating oil must be phased out by 2020. Ten years is a long enough timeframe for buildings to convert and get the best use out of the older burners that can’t burn cleaner fuel right away.”

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www.edf.org/dirtybuildings

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.