STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1129
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
banning the use of polystyrene foam docks, buoys and floating struc-
tures
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 27 of the environmental conservation law is amended
2 by adding a new title 34 to read as follows:
3 TITLE 34
4 POLYSTYRENE FOAM DOCKS BAN
5 Section 27-3401. Definitions.
6 27-3403. Prohibition on polystyrene docks, buoys, and floating
7 structures.
8 § 27-3401. Definitions.
9 For the purposes of this title, the following terms shall have the
10 following meanings:
11 1. "Buoy" means any float or marker that is attached to a mooring
12 anchor and either is suitable for attachment to a boat through the use
13 of a pennant or other device or facilitates the attachment of the boat
14 to the mooring anchor.
15 2. "Dock" means an unenclosed structure secured to land, land under
16 waters, a mooring, or a floating structure that is used for mooring
17 boats or for recreational activities, such as a swimming, fishing, or
18 sunbathing platform. A dock includes a structure that is partially
19 enclosed or has two or more levels.
20 3. "Expanded polystyrene foam" means a thermoplastic petrochemical
21 material utilizing the styrene monomer that is processed according to
22 multiple techniques including fusion of polymer spheres, injection mold-
23 ing, form molding, and extrusion-blow molding.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03415-01-5
S. 1129 2
1 4. "Extruded polystyrene foam" means polystyrene foam manufactured via
2 an extrusion process where plastic resin and other additives are
3 combined and extruded through a die, before cooling and expanding into
4 its final shape.
5 5. "Rigid polystyrene" means plastic made from rigid polystyrene resin
6 that has not been expanded, extruded, or foamed.
7 6. "Floating structure" means a structure constructed on or in waters
8 of the state that is supported by flotation and is secured in place by a
9 piling or mooring anchor, including boathouses, fueling structures,
10 navigation markers, floating homes, marinas, walkways, or boarding plat-
11 forms.
12 § 27-3403. Prohibition on polystyrene docks, buoys, and floating struc-
13 tures.
14 Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-seven, no person shall
15 sell, offer to sell, or distribute docks, buoys, or floating structures
16 made with expanded polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, or rigid
17 polystyrene.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
