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New York State AgenciesFiled Under: Environmental Issues | Long Island | Nassau New York State Capitol Building
The Attorney General (AG) Office in New York City works on environmental enforcement cases in the Long Island area. The AG also has a Long Island Consumer Fraud Bureau at AG Environmental Crimes Unit Committee on Open Government Your Right to Know: New York State’s Open Government Laws is a free 16 page brochure that offers advice on obtaining state and local government documents through the Freedom of Information Law. New York State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (see Section 5) requires a State Emergency Response Commission. The New York SERC's goal is to increase the preparedness of state and local governments for hazardous materials incidents, as well as to raise the public's awareness of hazardous materials issues and increase public access to hazardous materials inventory information. SERC functions primarily through a working group made up of various state agencies which already carry out activities associated with planning, training and enforcement involving hazardous materials. Private sector representatives are also part of the working group. New York State Energy Research The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority was created by the State Legislature as a public benefit corporation. It conducts a research, development and demonstration (R&D) program to develop and implement new energy, environmental products, and process technologies. It also helps industries, municipalities, schools, hospitals and not-for-profit groups implement energy efficiency measures; provides energy analysis services to help guide energy decisions made by major energy stakeholders in the public and private sectors. NYSERDA also issues tax-exempt bonds for utilities to help finance energy-related projects to reduce costs for taxpayers; and is responsible for coordinating the State's activity on nuclear matters, including low-level radioactive waste. It is directed by a 13-member board appointed by the Governor. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) The DEC is responsible for enforcing state environmental laws, issuing environmental permits and addressing pollution and environmental violations. It has nine regional offices around the state. For other general information, contact the Region 1 office, responsible for Suffolk and Nassau counties. Long Island (Region 1) DEC Regional Office Division of Environmental Remediation DEC Info-Line: DEC Spill Hotline Other Important DEC telephone numbers:
New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation is a public benefit corporation created to help local governments and private industry comply with state and federal environmental laws and regulations. It provides low-interest loans and interest-free loans to municipalities for water pollution control, protection and treatment projects. It also provides low-interest loans to businesses for environmental projects, such as solid waste management, sewage treatment and water supply management. NYSEFC administers Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act funds to assist small businesses in protecting air and water quality and provides technical advisory services (for a fee) to help businesses and government agencies efficiently comply with environmental requirements. Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform The Governor's Office of Regulatory Reform (GORR), established by a 1995 Executive Order, is charged with a mission to enhance the growth of private sector jobs in New York within a regulatory environment that protects public health and safety. The Regulations Review and Reform program analyzes state agency regulations for compliance with criteria set forth in the executive order and the State Administrative Procedure Act to insure that such regulations do not unnecessarily impair the state's economy. GORR works with agencies to identify and eliminate regulations it deems "unnecessarily prescriptive or inflexible." The Business Permits Assistance program helps business and others move through the permitting process faster. New York State Department of Health (DOH) The DOH has a Health Liason Program (HELP) with a toll free environmental hotline, (800) 458-1158. You can receive chemical health fact sheets, answers to environmental health questions and information such as the free “Environmental Health Kit.” The kit is a series of four helpful booklets: 1) An Introduction to Toxic Substances You can also obtain any Superfund site’s Health Inspection Report and possibly a site-specific fact sheet. Call 518-458-6310 to find out who from the DOH’s Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation is working on the site. Request a Cancer Cluster Investigation or Health Study by contacting the Division of Occupational Health and Environmental Epidemiology at (518) 458-6433. Interstate Sanitation Commission The Interstate Sanitation Commission has 15 representatives, five each from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. New York's representatives are appointed by the Governor, with the DEC Commissioner sitting as an ex-officio member. The Commission was established to protect the shared air and waters of the tri-state area. It has the power to investigate possible pollution, hold hearings, put forth plans, conduct studies, undertake research and tests, and it reports directly to the governors and legislatures of the participating states. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) NYMTC (pronounced "NIM-tic") is the official metropolitan planning organization (MPO) designated by the Governor for the downstate New York area: Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. (MPOs were required by federal law to address the growing transportation and environmental problems of urban areas.) The Council, a forum for regional transportation issues to be analyzed, discussed, and decided, is composed of representatives from government and agencies, including federal agencies and representatives for New Jersey. One of NYMTC's primary jobs is to collect, analyze, and interpret travel-related data. In cooperation with its members, NYMTC produces the federally required five-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Unified Planning Work Programs (UPWP), as well as the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). A project must be in the TIP to receive federal funding. All publications and an assortment of data can be requested by calling NYMTC or visiting their Web site. NYMTC is also charged with public outreach and coordinating public participation in transportation decision-making. It holds regular public events and forums on a variety of transportation topics. The New York Power Authority Corporate office: The New York State Power Authority provides about a quarter of the state's electricity by operating 10 generating facilities (both fossil-fuel and hydroelectric) and more than 1,400 circuit-miles of transmission lines. NYPA sells low-cost power to government agencies; to community-owned electric systems and rural electric cooperatives; to job-producing companies; to private utilities for resale (without profit) to their customers; and to neighboring states, under federal requirements. Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is responsible for administration of a statewide system of 152 state parks and 35 state historic sites, as well as recreational and cultural programming within these facilities. The office also manages numerous state and federal grant aid programs relating to parklands, recreation and historic preservation; administers the Urban Cultural Parks program, the State Navigation law, boating and recreational vehicle safety and education programs, and varied athletic programs including the Empire State Games. Department of State (DOS) The Department of State administers regulatory and service programs; provides advice and technical assistance to local governments and community organizations; fire training and arson prevention assistance, and handles citizen inquiries and complaints. It also regulates several occupational licensing programs; registers corporations, trademarks, and service marks; and files uniform commercial code statements. DOS's Division of Coastal Resources is responsible for administering New York State's Coastal Management Program, which collects and analyzes information about local waterfront areas and makes recommendations to encourage watershed protection, fish and wildlife preservation, public access and appropriate commercial development. The Division provides financial and technical assistance to local governments and works with local stakeholders to promote the beneficial use of New York's coast. New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) The New York State Department of Transportation oversees transportation policy and facilities throughout the state, and the spending of about $15 billion in state funds annually. DOT's responsibilities include highways, railroads, mass transit, ports, waterways and aviation facilities. Every few years, DOT develops a long-range, Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which lists the federally funded state and local projects that are scheduled. The STIP begins as a compilation of the regional Transportation Improvement Programs that are adopted every two years by the Metropolitan Planning Organizations (see NYMTC, above) and evolves into a comprehensive list of all highway projects (state or local) and all transit projects (capital or operating) in urban and rural areas that propose to use federal funds. DOT also administers special funding programs required by the federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), including the Transportation Enhancements Program and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ). Enhancements funding can go toward bicycle and pedestrian improvements, while CMAQ is designated for projects, like mass transit, which reduce transport-generated air pollution. NYS Legislative Commission On Water Resource Needs Of Long Island NYS Task Force on Long Island Sound Contacts on Long Island Sound Study:
Long Island Sound Study Public Outreach NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) New York State Legislative Committee And Commissions New York State Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee New York State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee New York State Assembly Health Committee New York State Senate Health Committee Senate Water Resources Committee Assembly Solid Waste Commission Assembly Commission on Hazardous Wastes Legislative Commission on Water Resources Needs of Long Island Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli, Chairman |
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