Directs the department of environmental conservation to conduct a study of ecological restoration needs of Jamaica Bay; imposes a five-year moratorium on placing sediment or fill in the borrow pits in Jamaica Bay.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1126
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. PERSAUD, COONEY, WEBB -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environ-
mental Conservation
AN ACT directing the department of environmental conservation to conduct
a study on ecological restoration needs of Jamaica Bay
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. (a) The department of environmental conservation shall
2 conduct a beneficial use study to determine ecological restoration needs
3 in Jamaica Bay. Such study shall include, but not be limited to:
4 (i) a description of the bathymetry of target areas of Jamaica Bay and
5 a map of the borrow pits;
6 (ii) the ecological service quality of the borrow pits over multiple
7 weather seasons at multiple depths, including in-depth analysis of the
8 populations of fin fish species that utilize such areas during different
9 seasons;
10 (iii) the geotechnical conditions of all pit bottoms;
11 (iv) the significance of the borrow pits regarding the absorption of
12 heat during summer months when adjacent shallow areas experience ulva
13 sulfide conditions; and
14 (v) any other policy recommendations regarding the ecological restora-
15 tion of Jamaica Bay.
16 (b) The department of environmental conservation shall:
17 (i) issue a report on the findings of such study to the governor, the
18 temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly no
19 later than March 30, 2030; and
20 (ii) publish such report on the department of environmental conserva-
21 tion's website.
22 (c) There shall be a moratorium of any placement of any type of sedi-
23 ment or fill into the borrow pits in Jamaica Bay for a period of five
24 years commencing on the effective date of this act, or until the study
25 is completed and published, whichever is later.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03536-01-5
