New York Assembly Bill A08073 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8073 2023-2024 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY September 27, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to designating the department of health as the lead agency in governing watersheds of the eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source of drinking water for surrounding communities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 top Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited 2 as the "Finger Lakes watershed stewardship act". 3 § 2. Legislative intent. It is the intent of the legislature to 4 protect and preserve the Finger Lakes region's natural heritage and 5 clean, cool waters for generations to come. The Finger Lakes is a unique 6 area of our state, made up of 11 lakes and many communities that are 7 home to its local tourism, wine, agricultural, and educational insti- 8 tutions. These glacially carved lakes are especially sensitive to envi- 9 ronmental pressures. As a thriving agriculture-tourism region, the 10 Finger Lakes are a major economic engine for the state, generating 11 millions of dollars every year in tax revenue and creating more than 12 25,000 jobs annually. Home to more than 1.2 million people, nearly 21% 13 of the state's agricultural land, and holding upwards of 4.2 trillion 14 gallons of fresh water that serve more than 2 million residents stretch- 15 ing from Rochester to Syracuse, it is vital that we keep these waters 16 clean and pristine long into the future. 17 § 3. Section 1100 of the public health law is amended by adding a new 18 subdivision 6 to read as follows: 19 6. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 20 govern all watersheds of the eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source 21 of drinking water for surrounding communities. The department shall act 22 as lead agency in the development, approval, implementation, and updat- 23 ing of such rules and regulations, and shall consult with the department EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11885-01-3 
 A. 8073 2 1 of agriculture and markets, the department of environmental conserva- 2 tion, and any other state or local agency or government the department 3 shall deem necessary in developing, approving, implementing, and updat- 4 ing such rules and regulations. The department of agriculture and 5 markets, the department of environmental conservation, and any other 6 state agency shall be authorized to enter into memoranda of agreement 7 and/or promulgate any rules or regulations to govern watersheds of the 8 eleven Finger Lakes that serve as a source of drinking water for 9 surrounding communities that are not inconsistent with the rules and 10 regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to this subdivision. 11 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.