Author: samforstatenis

Staten Island is getting screwed out of its cut of a $1.5 billion settlement drug companies agreed to pay toward overdose prevention – despite the “forgotten borough” being “Ground Zero” of the Big Apple’s opioid epidemic, a local pol claims.

The city’s share of the whopping legal payout is being allocated only to facilities in the city’s hospital system — and Staten Island is the only borough without a city-run hospital, Republican Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo told The Post.

Pirozzolo plans to testify Monday in Albany, before a state-appointed board overseeing the fund, that Staten Island is getting a raw deal.

“The intent of the New York State Opioid Settlement Fund was never meant to exclude any New Yorker based on their residence or lack of a city hospital,” says Pirozzolo, according to a copy of his testimony.

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By Giavanni Alves | GAlves@siadvance.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Newly elected New York State Assemblymember Sam Pirozzolo (R-Mid Island) is ready to make his campaign promises a reality in Albany and on Staten Island.

When asked what his 90-day plan is for the district, the freshman assemblymember said he is focused more on the big picture than just his first three months in office.

“I don’t have a 90-day outlook because I’m really looking beyond 90 days – what I will be able to accomplish in the next two years or within my term,” Pirozzolo said.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — State Sen. Andrew Lanza and Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo are making their opposition to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) known, officially announcing the introduction of legislation to prohibit their installation within Staten Island.

“In response to the rightful community backlash regarding BESS sites being installed in residential and school zones, Senator Andrew Lanza and I are proud to announce legislation to prohibit the siting or operation of these machines in residential or school zones on Staten Island,” Pirozzolo R-Mid-Island/North Shore) said in a statement. “While I firmly believe that this type of energy-technology is the future, the implementation has to be practical and responsible. Placing a large, sophisticated machine, filled with potentially explosive lithium-ion batteries, in residential or school communities is unacceptable. The fires caused by these batteries typically cannot be extinguished because of the presence of harsh chemical toxins, increasing the hazard and potential damage.”

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