This bill requires New York state agencies to consider health and environmental impacts when purchasing goods and services. It amends procurement rules to include long-term costs like toxic chemical exposure (e.g., in office equipment, building supplies) and environmental damage in budget decisions. The policy mandates that agencies prioritize products with minimal adverse health and environmental effects, such as avoiding mercury or lead in common items. This affects all state agencies making purchases, including schools, hospitals, and government offices, by changing how they evaluate "cost" to include public health and environmental factors.
Relates to banning the use of non-compostable produce stickers beginning January 1, 2026; provides civil penalties for violations; provides that fines shall be deposited into the environmental protection fund.
This bill (A 4213) bans the discharge of bilge water into New York's waters. Bilge water is defined as a mixture of water, oils, lubricants, grease, and cleaning fluids that accumulates in the lowest part of a vessel from engine and machinery operations. The law prohibits all vessels, watercraft, marinas, and moorings from releasing this water into any New York state waterways or adjacent waters under state jurisdiction. It directly affects boat operators, marinas, and any entity using watercraft in New York's waters. The prohibition is enforceable immediately upon the bill's enactment.
This bill requires textile producers (brands and manufacturers selling clothing, footwear, or home textiles in New York) to manage the end-of-life waste from their products starting in 2027. Key mechanisms include mandating producers to join or create a shared organization for waste collection, pay fees based on sales volume, establish in-store take-back systems, and report annually on recycling/reuse rates. It also requires new labels showing recycled content, origin, and environmental impact scores, while offering fee reductions for eco-friendly designs. The goal is to reduce New York’s annual 200+ million pounds of textile waste in landfills by shifting responsibility to producers and funding recycling programs through a dedicated waste fund.
This bill amends environmental law to exclude certain timber harvesting activities from permit requirements for lands used for agriculture or forestry. Specifically, it allows farmers and landowners to selectively cut timber using USDA Forest Service's current best management practices - including temporary skidder trails and machinery - without needing a permit. The exclusion applies only to active agricultural or silviculture lands, and does not cover non-agricultural structures or filling activities. Wetland rules still apply once farming or forestry activities end. The change takes effect immediately.
S 1528 establishes a tax on carbon-based fuels like coal, natural gas, and petroleum, imposed on fuel distributors and utilities based on carbon dioxide emissions. The tax starts at $35 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and increases by $15 annually to a maximum of $185 per ton. Revenue from the tax funds a dedicated "Carbon Dioxide Emissions Fund," with 60% returned as tax credits to low-to-moderate income residents (below 115% of area median income) and 40% allocated to clean energy transition, mass transit, and climate adaptation projects. The bill requires annual reporting by distributors and utilities and mandates public reporting on tax adjustments to address inflation and climate goals.
Establishes a sea level rise mitigation and adaptation plan for cities with a population of one million or more to be implemented by the department of environmental conservation; requires a sea level rise vulnerability and adaptation report to be submitted.
This bill exempts wood burning used for recreation, building heating, cooking, or food preparation from certain greenhouse gas emissions regulations. It directly affects rural residents and small communities who rely on wood-burning for these everyday purposes. The law modifies environmental conservation rules to exclude these specific wood-burning activities from compliance requirements tied to New York's 2019 climate law. The exemption applies immediately upon the bill's enactment.
Relates to the state greenhouse gas emission accounting system; aligns the state accounting system with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) accounting system.
Relates to permits and financial security for reclamation for salt mining beneath a lake; requires such permits to be subject to environmental quality review procedures; requires financial security to cover any damages directly or indirectly resulting from salt mining activities beneath a lake, including, but not limited to, those resulting from collapse or water contamination.
