New York Environmental Law
New York State Unveils Methane Reduction Plan
Earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration released its Methane Reduction Plan (the “Plan”), setting forth 25 priority actions to reduce methane emissions as part of New York State’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, as compared to 1990 levels. While the State continues its efforts…
New York City Council Passes Bills to Identify and Address Environmental Justice Areas
By: Heewon Kim Recently, the New York City Council passed two bills to help address environmental justice (“EJ”) issues in the city. Low-income populations and communities of color, including those in New York, often face disproportionate environmental burdens of human activity, such as air pollution and its accompanying health effects. New York City agencies have…
New York Budget Legislation Establishes New Regulations for Solid Waste Sites
By: Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz The budget legislation signed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last month contains several high profile environmental provisions, including more than $1.5 billion in grants for drinking water infrastructure improvements; the creation of a new Drinking Water Council to develop a plan for addressing “emerging” contaminants such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (“PFOS”) and…
Appellate Court Denies Motion to Enjoin Brooklyn Heights Library Redevelopment
By: Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz On March 7, 2017, the New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division, Second Department, denied a motion to enjoin the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Public Library’s (“BPL”) Brooklyn Heights branch, which will provide a modernized library within a new 36-story, mixed-used building featuring 134 market-rate apartments, two retail spaces, and a science,…
DEC Adopts Regulation Establishing Sea-Level Rise Projections for New York
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“DEC”) recently announced the final adoption of a regulation establishing science-based sea-level rise projections for New York’s tidal coast. The regulation, which implements the Community Risk and Resiliency Act (“CRRA”) of 2014, was first proposed in late 2015 and was revised in late 2016. The final regulation…
NYSDEC Proposes First Major Amendments to State Environmental Quality Review Act Regulations in Over Twenty Years
By: Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz On January 23, 2017, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) proposed the most significant changes to its regulations implementing the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) in more than twenty years. The proposal aims to streamline the environmental impact review process in New York, particularly for projects that advance…