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- Referred to local government
- Referred to local government
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Relates to the establishment, extension, powers and expenses of watershed protection improvement districts
In Assembly Committee · Local Governments · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S1878
Title of bill
An act to amend the county law, in relation to the establishment, extension, powers and expenses of watershed protection improvement districts
Purpose
Relates to the establishment, extension, powers and expenses of watershed improvement districts by the board of supervisors of each county.
Summary of provisions
Amends Section 250 of the County Law to allow the board of supervisors of each county to establish, consolidate, or extend watershed protection improvement for the purpose of the protection and restoration of groundwater, surface waters and drinking water quality as it may be deemed to be necessary or desirable, including but not limited to stormwater treatment projects and wetland construction.
Justification
New York State's surface, ground, and drinking water resources are continually threatened by pollution. Many rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and estuarine waters do not meet their current designated uses. Approximately 34% of New York's estuarine waters are categorized as impaired; 44% of New York's lake and reservoir acres are categorized as being impaired or threatened.
Contaminants from stormwater runoff and ineffective sanitary septic systems such as excess nutrients, bacteria, toxic substances, and sediment can cause excessive algae growth, close bathing beaches and shellfishing areas, harm aquatic life, and contaminate drinking water.
Best management practices designed to capture, treat, and infiltrate runoff will limit the volume of stormwater and amount of pollutants reaching our waterbodies. Replacing out-dated sanitary septic systems, especially in nutrient sensitive areas and areas with high groundwater tables, will minimize nutrient loadings to groundwater and groundwater-fed surface waters.
Counties often do not have the funds to undertake these important measures. This legislation would expand the power of the board of supervisors of each county to establish watershed protection improvement districts which would provide a dedicated, sustainable local funding source with equitable shared costs. Through watershed protection improvement districts, counties would be able to raise funds to install and maintain the following efforts: stormwater treatment, drainage and infiltration projects, septic system upgrades, alternative septic systems, conservation landscaping, stormwater collection devices, and natural shorelines and shoreline buffers.
The enactment of Chapter 378 of the Laws of 2012 enabled Towns to establish water protection improvement districts. This bill will extend the same provisions to counties.
Legislative history
2014: A. 8931/S. 6713
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.