Sen. Farley Announces Senate Passes Bill to Help Prevent Environmental Crimes

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed legislation that would make it a criminal offense for those who intentionally or recklessly damage the environment while committing another crime. The bill (S834) would help deter criminal activity and prevent environmental crimes.

In one related incident that took place in the Town of Greece, Monroe County, criminals broke into a spare electrical transformer owned by Rochester Gas and Electric, and stole copper to resell for profit. Removal of the copper resulted in 4,800 gallons of oil being drained from the transformer, causing land and water contamination of the surrounding environment with an estimated remediation cost of over $1 million.

There are currently no criminal mischief statutes that adequately address this type of environmental devastation. This bill would make crimes that result in large-scale environmental damage, either intentionally or recklessly, a class C felony.

The bill will be been sent to the Assembly.