Bill Text: NY S03874 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Eliminates the MTA's exemption from environmental quality review standards established by article 8 of the environmental conservation law.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-06 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S03874 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-S03874-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         3874
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                   February 20, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sens.  PERKINS, DILAN, KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered
         printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Trans-
         portation
       AN  ACT  to amend the public authorities law, in relation to eliminating
         the metropolitan  commuter  transportation  authority's  environmental
         quality review exemption
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Subdivisions 3 and 11 of section 1266 of the public author-
    2  ities law, subdivision 3 as amended and subdivision 11 as added by chap-
    3  ter 314 of the laws of 1981, are amended to read as follows:
    4    3. The authority may establish, levy and collect or cause to be estab-
    5  lished, levied and collected  and,  in  the  case  of  a  joint  service
    6  arrangement,  join with others in the establishment, levy and collection
    7  of such fares, tolls, rentals, rates, charges and other fees as  it  may
    8  deem necessary, convenient or desirable for the use and operation of any
    9  transportation  facility  and related services operated by the authority
   10  or by a subsidiary corporation of the authority or under contract, lease
   11  or other arrangement, including joint  service  arrangements,  with  the
   12  authority.  Any such fares, tolls, rentals, rates, charges or other fees
   13  for the transportation of passengers shall be  established  and  changed
   14  only if approved by resolution of the authority adopted by not less than
   15  a  majority vote of the whole number of members of the authority then in
   16  office, with the chairman having one additional vote in the event  of  a
   17  tie vote, and only after a public hearing, provided however, that fares,
   18  tolls,  rentals,  rates, charges or other fees for the transportation of
   19  passengers on any transportation facility which are  in  effect  at  the
   20  time  that  the  then  owner  of  such transportation facility becomes a
   21  subsidiary corporation of the authority or at the time that operation of
   22  such transportation  facility  is  commenced  by  the  authority  or  is
   23  commenced  under  contract,  lease or other arrangement, including joint
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD04026-01-5
       S. 3874                             2
    1  service arrangements, with the authority  may  be  continued  in  effect
    2  without  such  a hearing. Such fares, tolls, rentals, rates, charges and
    3  other fees shall be established as may in the judgment of the  authority
    4  be  necessary  to  maintain the combined operations of the authority and
    5  its subsidiary corporations on a self-sustaining basis. The  said  oper-
    6  ations  shall  be deemed to be on a self-sustaining basis as required by
    7  this title, when the authority is able to pay or cause to be  paid  from
    8  revenue  and  any  other  funds  or  property  actually available to the
    9  authority and its subsidiary corporations (a) as the same  shall  become
   10  due,  the  principal  of  and  interest on the bonds and notes and other
   11  obligations of  the  authority  and  of  such  subsidiary  corporations,
   12  together  with the maintenance of proper reserves therefor, (b) the cost
   13  and expense of keeping the properties and assets of  the  authority  and
   14  its  subsidiary  corporations  in good condition and repair, and (c) the
   15  capital and operating expenses  of  the  authority  and  its  subsidiary
   16  corporations.  The  authority may contract with the holders of bonds and
   17  notes with respect to the exercise of  the  powers  authorized  by  this
   18  section.  [No  acts  or  activities taken or proposed to be taken by the
   19  authority or any subsidiary of the authority pursuant to the  provisions
   20  of  this subdivision shall be deemed to be "actions" for the purposes or
   21  within the meaning of article eight of  the  environmental  conservation
   22  law.]
   23    11.  No  project to be constructed upon real property theretofore used
   24  for a transportation purpose, or on an insubstantial  addition  to  such
   25  property contiguous thereto, which will not change in a material respect
   26  the  general character of such prior transportation use, nor any acts or
   27  activities in connection with such project,  shall  be  subject  to  the
   28  provisions  of  article [eight,] nineteen, twenty-four or twenty-five of
   29  the environmental conservation law, or to any  local  law  or  ordinance
   30  adopted  pursuant to any such article. [Nor shall any acts or activities
   31  taken or proposed to be taken by the authority or by any other person or
   32  entity, public or private, in  connection  with  the  planning,  design,
   33  acquisition, improvement, construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation
   34  of  a transportation facility, other than a marine or aviation facility,
   35  be subject to the provisions  of  article  eight  of  the  environmental
   36  conservation  law,  or to any local law or ordinance adopted pursuant to
   37  any such article if such acts or activities require the preparation of a
   38  statement under or pursuant to any federal law or regulation as  to  the
   39  environmental impact thereof.]
   40    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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