Directs the department of environmental conservation, in consultation with the environmental justice interagency coordinating council and the climate justice working group, to conduct a study on the impacts of the urban heat island effect on disadvantaged communities.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10001--B
R. R. 149
IN ASSEMBLY
April 29, 2022
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM, OTIS -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Environmental Conservation -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee -- reported and referred to the Committee on Rules -- amended on
the special order of third reading, ordered reprinted as amended,
retaining its place on the special order of third reading
AN ACT in relation to directing the department of environmental conser-
vation in conjunction with the environmental justice interagency coor-
dinating council and the climate justice working group to conduct a
study on the impacts of the urban island effect on disadvantaged
communities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The department of environmental conservation, in consulta-
2 tion with the environmental justice interagency coordinating council and
3 the climate justice working group, shall conduct a study on the impacts
4 of the urban heat island effect on disadvantaged communities. The study
5 shall at a minimum, identify urban disadvantaged communities with
6 concentrations of heat islands, include recommendations on how to iden-
7 tify, prevent and address adverse health and environmental impacts from
8 urban heat island effects, and include existing and/or recommended fund-
9 ing available to address such impacts, including but not limited to
10 projects eligible pursuant to paragraph e of subdivision 1 of section
11 58-0703 of the environmental conservation law.
12 § 2. For the purposes of this study:
13 (a) "Disadvantaged communities" shall mean communities that are iden-
14 tified pursuant to section 75-0111 of the environmental conservation
15 law.
16 (b) "Urban heat island effect" means the phenomenon when pavement and
17 other infrastructure absorbs and stores large quantities of solar radi-
18 ation during the day and releases it during the nighttime, leading to an
19 increase in the surface temperatures of the immediate area.
20 (c) "Heat islands" means urbanized areas that experience higher
21 temperatures than outlying areas due to structures such as buildings,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14866-06-2
A. 10001--B 2
1 roads, and other infrastructure absorbing and reemitting the sun's heat
2 more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies. Urban
3 areas, where these structures are highly concentrated and greenery is
4 limited, become "islands" of higher temperatures relative to outlying
5 areas.
6 § 3. The department of environmental conservation shall deliver to the
7 governor, the legislature, and post on its public website, a report of
8 its findings no later than eighteen months after the effective date of
9 this act.
10 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
