Posts by Charlotte Hawes
DEC Releases Guidance on Freshwater Wetlands Following Annulment
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released guidance clarifying its implementation of Article 24 of the Environmental Conservation Law, known as the Freshwater Wetlands Act (FWA), following the Albany County Supreme Court’s annulment of DEC’s 6 NYCRR Part 664 regulations. On April 8, 2026, Judge Richard M. Platkin of the New…
Read MoreNew York City Proposes Regulations To Lower Lead-Contaminated Dust Thresholds
On July 1, 2026, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) will hold a virtual public hearing on its proposed regulations to lower the thresholds for lead-contaminated dust, following revisions to the federal thresholds by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) that became effective in January 2026. DOHMH’s lead dust standards…
Read MoreNew York Enacts Substantial Reforms to SEQRA
On May 27, 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law significant amendments to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget. The amendments — the most sweeping in decades — exempt certain categories of housing and infrastructure projects from SEQRA review, while also imposing new deadlines…
Read MoreNY Court Annuls DEC Freshwater Wetlands Regulations
On April 8, 2026, Judge Richard M. Platkin of the New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, entirely annulled the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) revised Part 664 freshwater wetlands regulations for noncompliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The revised regulations went into effect in January 2025, and their…
Read MoreArmy Corps Reissues and Modifies Nationwide Permits, Adding One New Permit
March 15, 2026 marked the start of a new five-year cycle for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nationwide Permits (NWPs). Pursuant to a final rule published on January 8, 2026, the Corps has reissued and modified 56 existing NWPs and created one new NWP. This blog post highlights key changes in the 2026 NWPs,…
Read MoreSEQRA Reform Remains Under Deliberation in the FY27 New York State Budget
Although the New York State Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget was due on April 1, 2026, the government is continuing to evaluate numerous components, including potential reforms to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) intended to fast-track environmental review for housing development. Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget and the Senate’s budget bill reflect different visions…
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