SERRANO EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT FULTON FISH MARKET PROPOSAL

Congressman José E. Serrano (D-NY) recently expressed his concerns about the traffic and air quality impacts of the proposed Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point. The Fish Market would be relocated to the southern end of the Hunts Point market on the East River. The following is text of the public comment Serrano submitted to the New York City Economic Development Corporation in response to the Draft Scoping Document, a planning tool that illustrates the details of a project and what considerations go into its design: 

I respectfully submit my comments on the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC)  Draft Scoping Document for the proposed Fulton Fish Market at Hunts Point.  The relocation of the Fulton Fish Market comes at a critical time in the Bronx, environmentally, economically and socially.  My comments focus on the need for the scoping document to incorporate approaches and measures that will minimize air quality and traffic impacts and maximize productivity and energy conservation. The draft scoping document discusses infrastructure, traffic, air quality issues, but does not explore the feasibility of using alternative fuel technology for both stationary and mobile sources of air pollutants at the facility.  Because this proposal involves the development of a brand new, “state of the art” facility, EDC should consider the potential for clean fuels use at the site by suppliers, vendors, buyers and facility operators. Clean fuels typically include energy sources that produce low or zero emissions, such as electric, compressed or liquid natural gas, solar, hydrogen and ethanol powered equipment. EDC should identify which trucking fleets that suppliers use will be closest to the new fish market. EDC should then engage these fleet operators to explore the use of clean fuels for the trucks that will service the new fish market.  EDC can provide these fleets with information on existing tax incentives for acquiring clean fuel vehicles and equipment.  EDC should also consider developing a system of incentives for fleet operators to use clean fuels, such as parking fees, services for clean fuel vehicles and other subsidies.  If there are a number of identified businesses that are expected to occupy space at the fish market and operate their own local fleets,  EDC should engage such businesses and make efforts to get such businesses to install clean fuel infrastructure and use clean fuel vehicles.  EDC should provide information on the existing tax incentives for taking such actions.  If businesses feel they are too small to make the kind of investment necessary to use clean  fuels, perhaps they can explore taking the clean fuels route collectively and invest in infrastructure for locally based fleets. In short, EDC should play an active role in pursuing clean fuel usage at the new fish market.  This would likely involve working with local businesses and community organizations.  But at this preliminary stage, EDC needs to seriously consider the establishment of clean fuel infrastructure in the scoping process. EDC should also seriously consider innovative, energy efficient approaches to facility operation.   Such approaches might include development of a co-generation plant that could provide multiple sources of energy for refrigeration, electricity,  heat and hot water.  Has EDC considered renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind power ?  Such technologies could enhance this “state of the art” facility and make it a model for other industrial facilities. Another approach that could help to significantly reduce traffic and mobile source impact would be the promotion of fish farms at the new fish market.  Biologically-driven, environmentally friendly fish farms can maximize production and simultaneously reduce the need for trucking in fish.  The Port Morris section of the Bronx already has such a facility at Inner City Oceans, Inc.  At this facility, loads of fresh Tilapia are grown in large tanks and are sold to local consumers and restaurants.  If other types of fish could be produced in large quantities in this manner at the new fish market, then the need to haul fish in by truck would diminish.  EDC should consider promoting businesses that use this technology as part of a long-term strategy.  Although such operations may require additional space for equipment and tanks, they may offset such losses by reducing the need for parking space and truck receiving.