WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2022) New York Attorney General� Letitia James said on Thursday� that her office is suing three bus companies which have repeatedly violated state and city laws, leading to significant air pollution in communities where African Americans and people of color live and work.
"New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a lawsuit against three New York City bus companies for causing significant air pollution in communities of color by violating city and state bus idling laws," her office said in a statement.
James said buses owned and operated by Jofaz Transportation, Inc., 3rd Avenue Transit, Inc., and Y&M Transit Corp., Inc. have routinely idled at schools, bus yards, and other locations in predominantly low-income and non-white communities in all five boroughs, where they have caused air pollution which has endangered the lives and health of New Yorkers. James is pursuing monetary relief and a court order that will force these companies to stay in full compliance with city and state idling laws.
All the three school bus companies are owned and operated by Joseph Fazzia and his family. Collectively, the family operates 614 buses and three bus yards in Brooklyn. Though the AG previously forged an agreement with Jofaz and 3rd Avenue Transit for violating city and state idling laws, the office discovered that the companies "continued their substantial, widespread, and persistent exceedances of idling limits at bus yards, near schools, public housing, and other locations across the city, as recently as April of this year."
James said tailpipe emissions from vehicles are one of the Primary sources of air pollution in New York State because of the soot, toxins, smog-forming pollutants and greenhouse gases released into the air. Idling produces about 130,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide released in New York City annually. The consequence is about 1,400 premature deaths every year, which is the highest death toll in the Northeast, and billions spent in health costs. These pollutants have been linked to heart disease, cancer, asthma and other illnesses and those most affected are senior citizens, children and people suffering respiratory illnesses who live in low-income communities and communities of color in New York City, the statement said.
