“From the jump, the effort to pass Introduction 4-A, the ‘Our Air Our Water Act,’ was organized by and for Red Hook first and to the benefit of the city as a whole,” she said. “This is a community-led victory that’s been years in the making, a step toward righting historical wrongs, and I’m grateful to play a part in its passage.”
The bill’s passage was called “a big win” by Community Board 6’s Executive Director Mike Racioppo. “We’re proud to have supported this legislation and thrilled to see the organizing efforts of the Red Hook community come to fruition. Congratulations to Councilmember Avilés and her team on this big win for the community,” he said in an email.
‘No magic bullet’
The Red Hook terminal is the only one on the East Coast which provides an electric shore power system. Many of the cruise ships berthing there, however, including the MSC Meraviglia, are unable to plug into it, since there are as yet no universal standards for power connection points on ships.
A “mobile jib” is expected to be functional in Red Hook by the end of 2024. The jib will expand the ability to connect ships to the electrical grid, according to the New York City Economic Development Corp.
But the MSC Meraviglia will still not be able to connect to the mobile jib “until they add some additional mechanisms,” Adam Armstrong, a musician, environmental activist and member of Resilient Red Hook told the Brooklyn Eagle on Monday.
Armstrong has been working on the Red Hook shore power issue since 2005. He moved his family to Bay Ridge due, in part, to the pollution from the ships and trucks, he testified at a City Council committee hearing on Feb. 15.
Armstrong praised the “tireless work of the Red Hook community and the fierce advocacy of Councilmember Avilés.” The bill’s passage “is an absolute victory for the community. But it’s no magic bullet,” he…
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