S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7081
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               April 4, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Environmental Conservation
 
 AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation  to  the
   location of environmental facilities
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds and declares that
 each community in the state should equitably share the responsibilities,
 burdens, and benefits of managing and solving the state's  environmental
 problems  and  the  facilities  necessary  to  accomplish such ends. The
 legislature further declares that there has been an inequitable  pattern
 in  the  siting of environmental facilities in minority and economically
 distressed communities, which have borne a disproportionate and  inequi-
 table  share  of  such  facilities.  Consistent  with  its commitment to
 providing equal justice for its citizens, the state has a responsibility
 to establish requirements for the consideration  of  such  decisions  by
 state and local governments in order to insure equality of treatment for
 all communities.
   §  2.  Section 1-0303 of the environmental conservation law is amended
 by adding three new subdivisions 26, 27, and 28 to read as follows:
   26. "ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREA" SHALL MEAN AN AREA CHARACTERIZED BY
 A POVERTY RATE OF AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT; OR AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF AT
 LEAST ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE  PERCENT  OF  THE  STATEWIDE  UNEMPLOYMENT
 RATE.
   27.  "MINORITY  COMMUNITY"  SHALL MEAN ANY CENSUS TRACT OR SUBDIVISION
 THEREOF THAT INCLUDES TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OR MORE OF ANY ETHNIC GROUP.
   28. "ETHNIC GROUP" SHALL MEAN THOSE GROUPS  IDENTIFIED  IN  THE  DEFI-
 NITION OF MINORITY GROUP MEMBER PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION EIGHT OF SECTION
 THREE HUNDRED TEN OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
   § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 8-0109 of the environmental conservation
 law is amended by adding a new paragraph (h-1) to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD02754-01-7

 A. 7081                             2
 
   (H-1)  WHETHER SUCH ACTION MAY CAUSE OR INCREASE A DISPROPORTIONATE OR
 INEQUITABLE OR BOTH DISPROPORTIONATE AND  INEQUITABLE  BURDEN  ON  THOSE
 MINORITY COMMUNITIES OR ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS OR MINORITY COMMU-
 NITIES  AND  ECONOMICALLY  DISTRESSED AREAS THAT ARE DIRECTLY OR SIGNIF-
 ICANTLY INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ACTION;
   §  4.  The opening paragraph of subdivision 4 of section 8-0109 of the
 environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 219 of the laws of
 1990, is amended to read as follows:
   As early as possible in the formulation of a proposal for  an  action,
 the responsible agency shall make an initial determination AS TO whether
 OR  NOT  an  environmental  impact  statement  need  be prepared for the
 action.  IN MAKING SUCH DETERMINATION, THE RESPONSIBLE AGENCY OR  APPLI-
 CANT  SHALL  CONSIDER  WHETHER  SUCH  ACTION  MAY  CAUSE  OR  INCREASE A
 DISPROPORTIONATE OR INEQUITABLE OR BOTH DISPROPORTIONATE AND INEQUITABLE
 BURDEN ON THOSE MINORITY COMMUNITIES OR ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS OR
 MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS THAT ARE DIRECTLY
 OR SIGNIFICANTLY INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ACTION. When an action is to
 be carried out or approved by two or more agencies,  such  determination
 shall  be  made  as  early as possible after the designation of the lead
 agency.
   § 5. The opening paragraph  of  paragraph  (b)  of  subdivision  2  of
 section  8-0113  of  the  environmental  conservation  law is designated
 subparagraph (i) and a  new  subparagraph  (ii)  is  added  to  read  as
 follows:
   (II)  SUCH CRITERIA SHALL INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH
 A PROPOSED ACTION MAY REASONABLY BE EXPECTED  TO  CAUSE  OR  INCREASE  A
 DISPROPORTIONATE OR INEQUITABLE OR BOTH DISPROPORTIONATE AND INEQUITABLE
 BURDEN ON THOSE MINORITY COMMUNITIES OR ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS OR
 MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREAS THAT ARE DIRECTLY
 OR SIGNIFICANTLY INDIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE ACTION;
   §  6.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law; provided that section three of  this  act  shall  not
 apply  to  any person who has received an initial determination pursuant
 to subdivision 4 of section 8-0109 of the environmental conservation law
 prior to such date and provided further that section five  of  this  act
 shall  not apply to any determination of significance made prior to such
 date.