Establishes a commission to be known as the "New York seawall study commission" which will study the feasibility, costs, impacts, and best locations for construction of a seawall or sea gate being created to protect the city of New York from sea level rise and storm surge along the entire coastline.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6927--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
October 23, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to
the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions in accord-
ance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended,
ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to establish a commission to be known as the "New York seawall
study commission"; and providing for the repeal of such provisions
upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. New York seawall study commission. 1. There is hereby
2 established, within the department of environmental conservation, a
3 seawall study commission ("commission") which shall consist of 14
4 members who shall be appointed as follows:
5 (a) the commissioner of environmental conservation or his or her
6 designee;
7 (b) the secretary of state or his or her designee;
8 (c) two members appointed by the governor;
9 (d) two members to be appointed by the temporary president of the
10 senate;
11 (e) two members to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
12 (f) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
13 (g) one member to be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
14 (h) two members to be appointed by the mayor of the city of New York;
15 (i) one member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
16 of Nassau; and
17 (j) one member to be appointed by the county executive of the county
18 of Suffolk.
19 2. The at large members should include individuals with expertise in
20 one or more of the following areas: climatology; hydrology; environ-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13492-04-8
S. 6927--A 2
1 mental; aquaculture; oceanography or coastal ocean science; and engi-
2 neering.
3 3. Commission members shall receive no compensation for their services
4 but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
5 the performance of their duties.
6 4. The chairperson of the commission shall be the commissioner of
7 environmental conservation or his or her designee. The commission shall
8 meet no less than four times and at other times at the call of the
9 chairperson.
10 5. Any vacancies on the commission shall be filled in the manner
11 provided for in the initial appointment.
12 6. The commission shall be authorized to hold public hearings and
13 meetings to enable it to accomplish its duties.
14 7. The commission may consult with any organization, educational
15 institution, other government entity or agency or person including, but
16 not limited to, the army corps of engineers, in the development of its
17 report required by subdivision 10 of this section.
18 8. The department of environmental conservation shall provide the
19 commission with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the
20 commission to carry out its powers and duties. Additionally, all other
21 agencies of the state or subdivisions thereof may, at the request of the
22 chairperson, provide the commission with such facilities, assistance,
23 and data as will enable the commission to carry out its powers and
24 duties.
25 9. The purpose of the New York seawall study commission shall be to
26 identify the feasibility, costs, impacts, and best locations for
27 construction of a seawall or sea gate to protect the city of New York
28 from sea level rise and storm surge along the entire coastline.
29 10. No later than December 31, 2020, the commission shall transmit to
30 the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of
31 the assembly a report containing the following:
32 (a) coastal areas at greatest risk from sea level rise based on
33 projections established pursuant to section 3-0319 of the environmental
34 conservation law;
35 (b) areas at risk from storm surge based on current sea levels;
36 (c) areas that are more likely to be at risk from coastal hazards
37 including rising groundwater levels, saltwater intrusion, coastal flood-
38 ing, and extreme weather events including coastal storms, with such
39 projections extending through year 2100;
40 (d) the locations for construction of a seawall or sea gate;
41 (e) the costs of such construction of a seawall or sea gate; and
42 (f) recommendations on state and local regulatory and/or statutory
43 alterations.
44 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
45 deemed repealed January 1, 2021.