EPL/Environmental Advocates to Present Top Honors to Assembly Member Lifton as NY's Greenest Legislator

ALBANY, NY (10/19/2011)(readMedia)-- EPL/Environmental Advocates presented Assembly member Barbara Lifton (D-Ithaca) with its "Legislator of the Year" award today at the Six Mile Creek Vineyard in Ithaca, NY. The green honor is awarded to the public figure who has done the most to advance environmentally beneficial policy. Lifton received the award for her work to protect New York's waters and communities from industrial gas drilling by means of high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Legislator of the Year honors are documented in EPL's Voters' Guide, which is New York's one-and-only scorecard that grades state lawmakers according to their votes on environmental bills. For the complete scorecard, visit www.eplvotersguide.org.

"I'm very happy to be receiving this important recognition for my work on hydro-fracking, and I want to thank EPL/Environmental Advocates for this great honor. I also thank the thousands of my constituents who have worked so hard on this issue, I have listened to them and taken their plea to the Capital. I also want to thank Speaker Silver and my colleagues in the Assembly for their support in getting three important hydro-fracking bills passed in the Assembly this year. I will continue to fight for the health and safety of my constituents and all New Yorkers-for clean water and clean air, and for the good, green jobs of a sustainable future," said Assembly member Lifton.

"Fracking is front and center in Albany this year, and EPL/Environmental Advocates' Legislator of the Year Assembly member Barbara Lifton distinguished herself from her peers by doing everything in her power to bring New Yorkers' concerns about industrial gas drilling to light," said Robert Moore, executive director of EPL/Environmental Advocates. "When fracking was first proposed in New York State, she was among the first to voice concerns. For her work on fracking and her consistently high green grades, EPL/Environmental Advocates chose Assembly member Lifton as New York State's greenest lawmaker for 2011."

Assembly member Barbara Lifton (D-Ithaca) received the "Legislator of the Year" title for her work to protect New York's waters and communities from industrial gas drilling by means of high volume hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." She was the prime sponsor of a bill that would clarify local government authority over such drilling, and with a top score of 105, she cemented her legacy as one of New York's most committed environmental champions.

EPL/Environmental Advocates calculates lawmakers' scores using the ratings of its sister organization, Environmental Advocates of New York. Legislators earn between one and three points respectively for votes in support of bills that received one, two or three "trees." Tree-rated bills are those deemed beneficial to the environment. Likewise, legislators earn between one and three points for voting against bills that were give a rating of one, two or three "smokestacks." Smokestack-rated bills are those deemed detrimental to the environment. Votes on priority "Super Bills" are given extra weight in the guide.

The Voters' Guide is the first and only record of New York State lawmakers' votes on legislation that will impact the environment. The Guide has been produced and distributed statewide for more than 40 years. The 2011 Voters' Guide was released on October 12, 2011.

EPL/Environmental Advocates was founded in 1969 as one of the first organizations in the nation to advocate for the future of a state's environment and the health of its citizens. Through lobbying, advocacy, coalition building, citizen education and policy development, EPL/Environmental Advocates has been New York's environmental conscience-ensuring that environmental laws are enforced; that new measures are enacted when necessary; and that the public is informed of, and participates in, important environmental policy debates.