Governor Cuomo Vetoes Environmental Legislation

Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a bill that would require the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue biennial reports identifying areas with “high local environmental impact zones” throughout the State. Governor Cuomo issued a statement with the veto wherein he cited a 2010 effort to pass similar legislation and the failure to address some of the issues that were highlighted as part of the veto of that bill. While the Governor stated that he is concerned about communities’ access to the environmental conditions where they live, he cited redundancy to other DEC programs, the lack of access to information required by the bill, and the fiscal impact to DEC. New York State has an interactive mapping tool wherein the public can download permits, water quality reports, and other documents of interest in their communities.