Exempts contractors employed by the city of Buffalo from payment of asbestos project notification fees for demolitions

1 Co-sponsor

• Timothy M. Kennedy

BILL NUMBER:S6248

Title of bill

An act to amend the labor law, in relation to exempting contractors employed by the city of Buffalo from payment of asbestos project notification fees for demolitions

Purpose

To exempt contractors doing construction work while employed by the City of Buffalo from having to pay asbestos notification fees.

Summary of specific provisions

Section 1 Amends Section 904 of the labor law to exempt contractors employed by the city of Buffalo from having to pay asbestos notification fees. Section 2 is the effective date.

Justification

The city of Buffalo has requested this legislation by passage of a resolution on September 22, 2011. The city of Buffalo has an overabundance of vacant buildings, many of which are old and contain asbestos. As the city deals with demolition of these buildings it puts a financial strain onto the City. Since July of 2008, over 50% of all demolitions have required the payment of an asbestos notification fee. Many of these projects cost over $4,000, while these fees are not a direct cost to the contractor they are ultimately paid by the City and as a result borne by its tax payers. The City or its asbestos contractors are responsible for performing and testing all removal work, so it is unclear what costs are incurred by the State from these projects. Further when conducting demolitions in the City of Buffalo, the structures in question are often large, have been subdivided and/or have garages or related accessory structures. This may lead to work at one site being deemed to be multiple asbestos projects rather than one, each of which requires submission of a separate asbestos notification fee to the state.

Prior legislative history

New Bill.

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.