Bill Text: NY A09287 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Establishes the nutrient inactivant application permit to allow for the use of products used for controlling phosphorus levels in lakes or ponds to prevent and inhibit harmful algal blooms.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-03 - print number 9287a [A09287 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09287-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         9287--A

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 23, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. LEVENBERG, BURDICK, SLATER, PAULIN, BRABENEC,
          FLOOD, WALSH -- read once and referred to the  Committee  on  Environ-
          mental  Conservation  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
          reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the  environmental  conservation  law,  in  relation  to
          establishing nutrient inactivant application permits

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Article 17 of the environmental conservation law is amended
     2  by adding a new title 23 to read as follows:
     3                                  TITLE 23
     4                 SPECIAL PERMITS FOR APPLICATION OF NUTRIENT
     5                                 INACTIVANTS
     6  Section 17-2301. Definitions.
     7          17-2303. Nutrient inactivant application permits.
     8          17-2305. Denial or revocation of permits.
     9          17-2307. Permit fees.
    10          17-2309. Regulations.
    11  § 17-2301. Definitions.
    12    As used in this title the following terms  shall  have  the  following
    13  meanings:
    14    1.  "Nutrient  inactivant  application business" shall mean a business
    15  that commercially applies nutrient inactivants.
    16    2. "Nutrient inactivants" shall mean  products  used  for  controlling
    17  phosphorus levels in lakes or ponds to prevent and inhibit harmful algal
    18  blooms  including  aluminum  sulfate,  sodium  aluminate, lanthanum, and
    19  other such products as determined by the department.
    20    3. "Application of nutrient inactivants"  shall  mean  the  commercial
    21  application of nutrient inactivants.
    22    4. "Nutrient inactivant applicator" shall be a person certified by the
    23  department pursuant to section 17-2303 of this title.
    24    5. "Nutrient inactivant application permit" shall mean a special SPDES
    25  permit  issued  under this title for the application of nutrient inacti-
    26  vants. Such permit shall be considered a SPDES permit issued under title

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13387-05-4
        A. 9287--A                          2

     1  eight of this article and shall have the same  requirements  and  privi-
     2  leges  as  a  SPDES  permit  issued  under  title eight of this article;
     3  provided, however, where the requirements and  privileges  of  a  permit
     4  issued  under  this  title  is inconsistent with that of a permit issued
     5  under title eight of  this  article,  the  requirements  and  privileges
     6  described in this title shall apply.
     7  § 17-2303. Nutrient inactivant application permits.
     8    1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation under this
     9  title,  a  person who has a valid nutrient inactivant application permit
    10  issued by the commissioner may engage in the commercial  application  of
    11  nutrient inactivants.
    12    2.  Application  for a nutrient inactivant application permit shall be
    13  made to the commissioner. The application shall be on a form  prescribed
    14  by the commissioner and shall be accompanied by the fee or fees provided
    15  in  section 17-0821 of this article. The application shall set forth the
    16  reasons for why the applicant is applying for the permit, including:
    17    (a) the water bodies for which the applicant seeks to use  a  nutrient
    18  inactivant under the permit;
    19    (b)  what other measures have been taken for the control of phosphorus
    20  and harmful algal blooms  with  respect  to  the  relevant  waterbodies,
    21  including mechanical methods of control, and the outcomes of those meas-
    22  ures taken; and
    23    (c)  why  the  use  of a nutrient inactivant would be more appropriate
    24  than other methods of control.
    25    3. An applicant for a nutrient inactivant application permit shall:
    26    (a) provide proof to the commissioner of such applicant's knowledge of
    27  the safe and proper use, handling,  storage  and  disposal  of  nutrient
    28  inactivants and application equipment and/or satisfy the commissioner as
    29  to  the  applicant's knowledge and experience concerning the proper use,
    30  handling, storage, and disposal of nutrient inactivants and  application
    31  equipment; and
    32    (b)  be  a  certified  pesticide  applicator,  as  provided in section
    33  33-0905 of this chapter, qualified to apply pesticides  to  standing  or
    34  running water, and be employed by, or the owner or agent of a registered
    35  pesticide business or agency.
    36    4.  Nutrient  inactivant  application permits shall be valid for three
    37  years after which every permit must be renewed.
    38    5. A person with a valid nutrient inactivant application permit  shall
    39  maintain  such  records  and  shall  furnish such reports concerning the
    40  application of nutrient inactivants as the commissioner  shall  require.
    41  All  records  required  to be kept under this section shall be available
    42  for inspection by the commissioner.
    43  § 17-2305. Denial or revocation of permits.
    44    The commissioner, after due notice and opportunity of  hearing  to  an
    45  applicant or person with a valid nutrient inactivant application permit,
    46  may  deny  an  application or revoke a permit pursuant to title eight of
    47  this article.
    48  § 17-2307. Permit fees.
    49    All fees established by the commissioner pursuant to this title  shall
    50  be the same as those established by section 17-0821 of this article.
    51  § 17-2309. Regulations.
    52    The  department shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of
    53  this title.
    54    § 2.  Section 33-0103 of the environmental conservation law is amended
    55  by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
        A. 9287--A                          3

     1    4. This article shall not apply to the application of nutrient inacti-
     2  vants, as such term is defined in section 17-2301 of this chapter, by  a
     3  person  holding  a  nutrient  inactivant  application permit under title
     4  twenty-three of article seventeen of this chapter.
     5    §  3.  The  environmental  conservation law is amended by adding a new
     6  section 17-0833 to read as follows:
     7  § 17-0833. SPDES permits; nutrient inactivant application permit.
     8    For the  purposes  of  this  title,  nutrient  inactivant  application
     9  permits issued under title twenty-three of this article shall be consid-
    10  ered  a  special type of SPDES permit. SPDES permits shall not be issued
    11  for the application of nutrient inactivants, as such term is defined  in
    12  section  17-2301  of  this  article,  except as provided for under title
    13  twenty-three of this article.
    14    § 4. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
    15  section 71-1947 to read as follows:
    16  § 71-1947. Enforcement of title 23 of article 17.
    17    Any person who violates any provision of title 23 of article 17 or any
    18  rule,  regulation  or  order  issued  thereunder  shall be liable to the
    19  people of this state for a civil penalty of up to one  thousand  dollars
    20  for a first violation to be assessed by the commissioner after a hearing
    21  or  opportunity  to  be heard. In determining the amount of the penalty,
    22  the commissioner shall take into account whether the violation posed  an
    23  immediate  threat  to    the environment or the health and safety of the
    24  public. Any subsequent violation of this title and/or any  provision  of
    25  this  article  as  it relates to the application of nutrient inactivants
    26  shall be treated as a violation to which section 71-1929 of  this  title
    27  applies.
    28    §  5.    This  act  shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day
    29  after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,  the  addition,
    30  amendment  and/or  repeal  of  any  rule or regulation necessary for the
    31  implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized  to  be
    32  made and completed on or before such effective date.