Bill Text: NY S06173 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Repeals certain boards of the environmental conservation law.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-09 - REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION [S06173 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-S06173-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6173
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    January 9, 2012
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by Sen. GRISANTI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
       AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law,  the  state  finance
         law  and the town law, in relation to making technical corrections; to
         repeal section 27-2109 of the environmental conservation law  relating
         to  the  advisory  committee  on  mercury pollution; to repeal section
         11-2003 of the environmental conservation law relating to the New York
         state bird conservation area program  advisory  committee;  to  repeal
         section  11-1005 of the environmental conservation law relating to the
         falconry advisory board; to repeal title 11 of article 24 and subdivi-
         sion 7 of section 24-0107 of the environmental conservation law relat-
         ing to the freshwater wetlands appeals board; to repeal section 9-0705
         of the environmental conservation law relating to the regional  forest
         practice boards; to repeal section 9-0707 of the environmental conser-
         vation  law  relating  to  the  state forest practice board; to repeal
         section 27-0702 of the environmental conservation law relating to  the
         solid  waste  management  board;  and  to repeal article 5 and section
         19-0917 of the environmental conservation law relating  to  the  state
         environmental board
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Section 27-2109 of the environmental  conservation  law  is
    2  REPEALED.
    3    S  2.  Section  11-2003  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
    4  REPEALED.
    5    S  3.  Section  11-1005  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
    6  REPEALED.
    7    S  4.  Title 11 of article 24 of the environmental conservation law is
    8  REPEALED.
    9    S 5. Subdivision 7 of section 24-0107 of the  environmental  conserva-
   10  tion law is REPEALED and subdivision 8 is renumbered subdivision 7.
   11    S  6.  Subdivision 1 of section 24-0301 of the environmental conserva-
   12  tion law, as amended by chapter 654 of the laws of 1977, is  amended  to
   13  read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD13930-01-2
       S. 6173                             2
    1    1.  The commissioner shall, as soon as practicable, conduct a study to
    2  identify and map those individual freshwater wetlands in  the  state  of
    3  New  York  which  shall  have an area of at least twelve and four-tenths
    4  acres or more, or if less than twelve and four-tenths acres,  (a)  have,
    5  in  the  discretion  of  the commissioner[, and subject to review of his
    6  action by the board created pursuant to title eleven of  this  article],
    7  unusual  local  importance  for one or more of the specific benefits set
    8  forth in subdivision seven of section 24-0105 or (b) are located  within
    9  the  Adirondack  park  and  meet the definition of wetlands contained in
   10  subdivision sixty-eight of section eight hundred two of article  twenty-
   11  seven  of  the executive law, and shall determine their characteristics.
   12  This study shall, in addition to such other data as the commissioner may
   13  determine to be included, consist of the freshwater  wetlands  inventory
   14  of the department [of environmental conservation], currently being made,
   15  together  with  other  available  data  on  freshwater wetlands, whether
   16  assisted by the state of New York under the tidal wetlands act or other-
   17  wise, or assembled by federal or local governmental or private agencies,
   18  all of which information shall be assembled and integrated, as  applica-
   19  ble,  into  a  map of freshwater wetlands of the state of New York. Such
   20  study may, in the discretion of the commissioner, be carried  out  on  a
   21  sectional  or  regional  basis, as indicated by need, subject to overall
   22  completion in an expeditious fashion subject to the terms of this  chap-
   23  ter.  This map, and any orders issued pursuant to the provisions of this
   24  article, shall comprise a part of the statewide  environmental  plan  as
   25  provided  for  in section 3-0303 of this chapter. As soon as practicable
   26  the commissioner shall file with  the  secretary  of  state  a  detailed
   27  description  of the technical methods and requirements to be utilized in
   28  compiling the inventory, and he shall afford the public  an  opportunity
   29  to submit comments thereon.
   30    S  7. Any matters pending before the freshwater wetlands appeals board
   31  shall be transferred and continued in the  department  of  environmental
   32  conservation  in  accordance  with article 3 of the state administrative
   33  procedure act.
   34    S 8. Section 24-0507 of the environmental conservation law, as amended
   35  by chapter 654 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
   36  S 24-0507. Reservation of local jurisdiction.
   37    Except as provided in this article, jurisdiction over all areas  which
   38  would qualify as freshwater wetlands except that they are not designated
   39  as  such  on  the freshwater wetlands map pursuant to section 24-0301 of
   40  this article because they are less than twelve and four-tenths acres  in
   41  size  and  are  not of unusual local importance is reserved to the city,
   42  town or village in which they are wholly or partially located,  and  the
   43  implementation  of this article with respect thereto is the responsibil-
   44  ity of said city, town or village, in accordance  with  section  24-0501
   45  and  title  twenty-three  of article seventy-one of this chapter, except
   46  that a city, town or village in the exercise of its  powers  under  this
   47  section,  shall  not be subject to the provisions of subdivision four of
   48  section 24-0501, subdivisions two  and  three  of  section  24-0503,  or
   49  section 24-0505[, but shall be subject to judicial review under subdivi-
   50  sion two of section 24-1105 of this article].
   51    S  9.  Subdivision 5 of section 24-0703 of the environmental conserva-
   52  tion law, as amended by chapter 233 of the laws of 1979, is  amended  to
   53  read as follows:
   54    5. Prior to the promulgation of the final freshwater wetlands map in a
   55  particular   area  and  the  implementation  of  a  freshwater  wetlands
   56  protection law or ordinance, no person shall conduct,  or  cause  to  be
       S. 6173                             3
    1  conducted,  any  activity  for  which a permit is required under section
    2  24-0701 of this article on any freshwater wetland unless he has obtained
    3  a permit from the  commissioner  under  this  section.  Any  person  may
    4  inquire  of  the  department as to whether or not a given parcel of land
    5  will be designated a  freshwater  wetland  subject  to  regulation.  The
    6  department shall give a definite answer in writing within thirty days of
    7  such  request  as  to  whether such parcel will or will not be so desig-
    8  nated. Provided that, in the event that  weather  or  ground  conditions
    9  prevent  the  department from making a determination within thirty days,
   10  it may extend such period until a determination can be made. Such answer
   11  in the affirmative shall be reviewable  pursuant  to  [title  eleven  of
   12  this] article SEVENTY-EIGHT OF THE CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES; such an
   13  answer in the negative shall be a complete defense to the enforcement of
   14  this  article PURSUANT TO ARTICLE SEVENTY-ONE OF THIS CHAPTER as to such
   15  parcel of land. The commissioner may by regulation adopted after  public
   16  hearing  exempt categories or classes of wetlands or individual wetlands
   17  which he determines not to be critical to the furtherance of  the  poli-
   18  cies and purposes of this article.
   19    S  10. Subdivision 6 of section 24-0705 of the environmental conserva-
   20  tion law, as amended by chapter 654 of the laws of 1977, is  amended  to
   21  read as follows:
   22    6.  Review  of  the  determination  of  the local government or of the
   23  commissioner shall be, within a period of thirty days after  the  filing
   24  thereof, pursuant to the provisions of [title eleven of this article or]
   25  article  seventy-eight of the civil practice law and rules. Any owner of
   26  the wetland affected and any resident or citizen of the local government
   27  shall be deemed to have the requisite standing to seek review.
   28    S 11. Subdivision 2 of section 24-0801 of the environmental  conserva-
   29  tion  law,  as  added  by chapter 654 of the laws of 1977, is amended to
   30  read as follows:
   31    2. Where the activities otherwise subject  to  regulation  under  this
   32  article involve freshwater wetlands located within the boundaries of the
   33  Adirondack park, the inquiries referred to and the applications provided
   34  for  in  section 24-0703 of this article shall be made to and filed with
   35  the Adirondack park agency at its headquarters office, under such  regu-
   36  lations and procedures as the Adirondack park agency may promulgate. The
   37  Adirondack  park  agency  shall  review  the application in place of the
   38  commissioner or local government as provided in section 24-0705 of  this
   39  article,  having  due regard for the declaration of policy and statement
   40  of findings set forth in this article and  for  the  considerations  set
   41  forth  in subdivision one of section 24-0705 of this article. The agency
   42  shall in addition determine prior to the granting of any permit that the
   43  proposed activity will be consistent with the Adirondack park  land  use
   44  and development plan and would not have an undue adverse impact upon the
   45  natural, scenic, aesthetic, ecological, wildlife, historic, recreational
   46  or  open  space  resources of the park, taking into account the economic
   47  and social or other benefits to be derived from the activity. Any person
   48  may seek review of a ruling made solely pursuant to  the  provisions  of
   49  this  article  by the Adirondack park agency pursuant to [the provisions
   50  of title eleven of this article or] article seventy-eight of  the  civil
   51  practice law and rules.
   52    S  12. Subdivision 7 of section 24-0903 of the environmental conserva-
   53  tion law, as added by chapter 614 of the laws of  1975,  is  amended  to
   54  read as follows:
   55    7.  Any  person  aggrieved  by  any  such order or regulation may seek
   56  [review pursuant to the provisions of title eleven of this  article  or]
       S. 6173                             4
    1  judicial  review pursuant to article seventy-eight of the civil practice
    2  law and rules in the supreme court for the county in which the  freshwa-
    3  ter  wetland is located, within thirty days after the date of the filing
    4  of  the  order  with  the  clerk  of  the county in which the wetland is
    5  located.
    6    S  13.  Section  9-0705  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
    7  REPEALED.
    8    S  14.  Section  9-0707  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
    9  REPEALED.
   10    S 15.  Section  27-0702  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
   11  REPEALED.
   12    S 16. The opening paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 27-0103 of the
   13  environmental  conservation law, as amended by chapter 55 of the laws of
   14  1992, is amended to read as follows:
   15    The commissioner shall[, with the advice  of  the  state  solid  waste
   16  management  board  established pursuant to section 27-0702 of this arti-
   17  cle,] biennially review the status of programs and information contained
   18  within the plan and make recommendations for legislation or other  state
   19  action related to:
   20    S 17. Paragraph g of subdivision 3 of section 165 of the state finance
   21  law, as amended by chapter 95 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as
   22  follows:
   23    g. In addition to carrying out the provisions of paragraphs e and f of
   24  this subdivision, the commissioner shall identify and implement specific
   25  steps which will reduce, to the maximum extent practicable, waste gener-
   26  ated  in state facilities and maximize the recovery and reuse of second-
   27  ary materials from such facilities. Such steps and their  implementation
   28  shall be reviewed from time to time but no less frequently than annually
   29  or  upon  receiving recommendations for additional steps from [the solid
   30  waste management board,] the department of environmental conservation or
   31  the environmental facilities corporation.
   32    S 18. Article 5 of the environmental conservation law is REPEALED.
   33    S 19.  Section  19-0917  of  the  environmental  conservation  law  is
   34  REPEALED.
   35    S  20.  Subdivision  11  of section 341 of the town law, as amended by
   36  chapter 792 of the laws of 1934, is amended to read as follows:
   37    11. Nothing in this act shall affect  or  impair  the  provisions  and
   38  requirements  of articles [five] SIX to fourteen, both inclusive, of the
   39  ENVIRONMENTAL conservation law, nor affect, impair  nor  repeal  chapter
   40  five  hundred  sixteen  of the laws of nineteen hundred twenty-eight, as
   41  amended.
   42    S 21. This act shall take effect immediately.
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