posted on october 28, 2016 by dcg | 2 comments 




this guy is full of hot air. 




via ny post : the de blasio administration is trying to limit the number of food trucks in the city by claiming that each hot-dog and kabob cart causes more pollution than a truck ride to los angeles. 




deputy health commissioner corinne schiff made the claim at a city council hearing wednesday, in an apparent effort to sink a bill that would nearly double the number of food-vendor permits in the city by 2023 . 




<u+201c>meat grilling is a significant source of air pollution in the city,<u+201d> schiff said. <u+201c>one additional vendor grilling meat emits an amount of particle pollution in one day equivalent to what a diesel truck emits driving 3,500 miles.<u+201d> 




the new bill would boost the number of permits to 8,000 by 2023 and also create an enforcement team to sniff out violations. 




since 1983, the number of street-food vending permits has remained steady at 4,235. but there are likely more carts than that on the streets, as some vendors simply open shop without a license and work until they are caught. 




schiff argued any increase in the number of food carts needs to come with regulations stipulating that the carts operate in a more environmentally friendly manner. 




city councilman mark levine (d-manhattan), who is sponsoring the bill to increase the permits, wondered if this was already the case. <u+201c>we have laws in the city about air quality that currently stipulate that any food establishment has got to have a hood over a grill,<u+201d> levine said. <u+201c>is that not currently the law?<u+201d> 




schiff, however, said there are no such laws regulating the carts as she suggested the proposals be delayed to ensure better pollution safeguards. 




<u+201c>we really see this as an opportunity to work with the council to think through how we might use this modernization act to improve air quality,<u+201d> she said. <u+201c>the current laws don<u+2019>t actually control the emissions that we<u+2019>re concerned about.<u+201d> 




business-improvement districts and residents throughout the city also pushed for delays on increasing vendor permits, saying there are too many already in some neighborhoods, but welcomed increased enforcement. 




<u+201c>the enforcement idea is a great idea,<u+201d> said ellen baer, co-chair of the nyc bid association. <u+201c>let<u+2019>s see if this works, let<u+2019>s see how it works, let<u+2019>s see if it<u+2019>s sufficiently funded, let<u+2019>s see how many resources they need <u+2014> before we start adding to the chaos.<u+201d> 




but street vendors argued they<u+2019>ve waited too long for reforms that would allow them to transition from operating illegally to legally. 




sean basinski, director of the street vendor project, described the bills as <u+201c>far from our dream,<u+201d> but said he supports most of what they call for. <u+201c>it is a reasonable compromise,<u+201d> he said. <u+201c>vendors have been waiting 35 years for this change . . . we certainly welcome a study being done, but we don<u+2019>t think that should delay the progress that needs to be made. the time for reform is now.<u+201d> 




before the hearing, some vendors rallied outside, demanding that city officials and police stop harassing them and treating them like criminals . the bill will remain before the committee while members discuss possible changes.
comment on mayor de blasio claims hot dog carts are causing global warming by dr. eowyn
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