Requires railroad corporations to inform the division of homeland security and emergency services, department of environmental conservation and department of transportation about freight rail trains transporting hazardous materials prior to traveling on tracks within the state.
This bill updates the legal definition of tidal wetlands to explicitly include areas within the marine and coastal district. By amending the Environmental Conservation Law, it clarifies that these wetlands encompass specific features like banks, salt marshes, and swamps that border or lie beneath tidal waters. The change ensures that lands currently or formerly connected to tidal action in this district are recognized under the existing wetland protections. This adjustment affects how environmental regulations are applied to these specific coastal areas without altering other parts of the law.
Requires the consideration of complete street design for certain transportation projects which receive federal or state funding; authorizes the department to compile and make publicly available guidance and reference material related to consideration of complete street design.
Prohibits the use of drilling fluids, brine and flowback water from gas or oil wells, pools, or fields on any highway for any purpose including but not limited to de-icing or dust suppression.
Enacts the low impact landscaping rights act, preventing homeowners' associations from adopting or enforcing any rules or regulations that would effectively prohibit, or impose unreasonable limitations on, the installation or maintenance of low impact landscaping.
Establishes a Mohawk River Basin district and Mohawk River Basin management program for management of such district to preserve, protect, restore and enhance the environmental quality of the Mohawk River.
This bill requires New York's energy research agency (NYSERDA) to develop recommendations for establishing microgrids at critical facilities like hospitals, fire stations, water plants, and schools. The agency must study priority locations (focusing on areas with past storm damage and disadvantaged communities) and identify funding options for these localized power networks. The resulting report, due within one year, will guide state decisions on improving energy resilience for essential services during outages. It directly affects communities relying on these critical facilities and state agencies managing infrastructure.
This bill requires state and local parks to test their drinking water for lead contamination at least once every three years. If lead levels are found to be unsafe, park managers must provide free safe water, shut down affected outlets, post warnings, and share results online. The law also mandates that officials publish a biennial report on these findings and exempts New York City parks if they already have a testing program.
Establishes the native/pollinator planting fund and the pollinator highway program; creates a distinctive native plant and pollinator license plate with the goal of promoting the cultivation and maintenance of native flowering plants, grasses and shrubs on land bordering state highways and on other public lands.
This bill requires New York's Energy Research and Development Authority to develop recommendations for establishing microgrids - local power networks that can operate independently during outages - at critical facilities like hospitals, fire stations, schools, water plants, and emergency shelters. It mandates the Authority to evaluate which facilities should prioritize microgrids, identify geographic areas needing them (based on past storm damage and disadvantaged communities), and propose funding solutions. The Authority must submit these recommendations to state leaders within one year of the bill's effective date. The bill focuses on enhancing grid resilience for essential services without specifying funding sources or implementation timelines.
