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Leslie Danks Burke Puts Out Environmental Plan

April 22, 2020

From Leslie Danks Burke, Democrat State Senate Candidate:

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Leslie Danks Burke, candidate for State Senator in New York’s 58th district, is setting forth clear action to address climate change and boost the district economy. Danks Burke’s environmental protection plan would invest in clean energy jobs; ban out-of-state corporations from dumping fracking waste in the region; put stronger drinking water protections in place; reduce carbon emissions; support local farmers in sustainable agriculture; and conserve the region’s natural resources.

“My opponent’s day job is at a lobbying firm where one client is responsible for contaminating drinking water and another brings in radioactive fossil-fuel waste from outside the state to dump here. In his other job as our Senator, my opponent casts votes that enable these companies to act this way,” Danks Burke said. “I’m calling on New York State to invest now to develop our clean energy infrastructure, and stop downstate and out-of-state interests from dumping their waste in our region.”

“Here in our beautiful Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region, we cherish our natural resources, and we know how vital our water, air, and land are for our farmers, our local ag producers and tourism businesses, and for our children to grow up healthy. We must be conservative and save for the future, taking proactive measures to protect our environment now,” said Danks Burke. “Climate change is real, one of the greatest challenges we’ve ever faced together, and an opportunity to change choices we’ve been making that haven’t bolstered the economy here. We’re not at the table, and it shows when our region doesn’t have access to clean energy jobs that are going to other parts of the state. It’s time for a Senator who will fight to protect our environment, get clean energy jobs here, and support local farmers.”

Danks Burke’s plan includes:
1. Stop dumping downstate garbage, out-of-state fracking waste, and massive gas storage facilities on our region.
2. Invest in clean energy jobs that will last for years to come in growing solar, wind, and other sustainable energy industries.
3. Provide state tax incentives and cut red tape to help farmers transition to new land maintenance protocols as climate change disrupts the freeze-and-thaw cycle, changes drought and flood patterns, and brings bigger and more damaging storms to the region.
4. Invest in repairs to our crumbling water and sewer infrastructure to protect our drinking water and expand mass transit, especially in passenger rail for the Southern Tier region.
5. Establish state-level support for local recycling and composting efforts and work to standardize a list of recyclable materials statewide.
Leslie Danks Burke is an attorney and a longtime advocate for education, healthcare, and rural economic development. She is the daughter of farmers and a mother who, together with her husband, is raising two children in this community. A Democrat, she previously ran for State Senate in the 58th in 2016, outraising incumbent Tom O’Mara by over $200,000 and receiving more voter support from outside her party than any other challenger to a sitting incumbent that year — on either side. Since 2016, Danks Burke has remained a powerful advocate for local community engagement and honest government.


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