A proposed $75 billion “climate change superfund” in New York would help harden Long Island’s infrastructure in the face of storm events, which supporters of the bill say have only intensified with climate change.
The superfund measure would be partially funded by companies in the state that “contribute significantly” to greenhouse gas emissions. Charges would be based on the amount they produce.
The bill has the support of the nonprofit, Rebuild by Design. Their New York Atlas Disaster report finds Nassau and Suffolk counties are among the state’s regions most impacted by major weather events like hurricanes, winter storms and flooding.
According to the report, seven of these events hit Suffolk between 2011 and 2021, and five hit Nassau.
Opponents of the bill say this will only make things more costly for consumers, and will disincentive investment in New York state.
