Gov. Kathy Hochul is seeking a major overhaul of the state’s environmental review law in a bid to spur the development of affordable housing and infrastructure projects.
“We’re taking a hard look at the environmental review processes that have not been updated in half a century,” Hochul said in her State of the State address Tuesday. “Right now, they slow down the very projects that help us fight climate change, create housing and strengthen our communities.”
Seemingly all corners of New York chimed in to support the proposal, including mayors from across the state, labor leaders, local business groups, homebuilders and environmental advocates. But the exact details of what she’s proposing still remain to be seen and could ultimately prove contentious.
The State Environmental Quality Review Act has been on the books since 1975, requiring development projects to go through an environmental review process. While the law has been amended since then, with the Department of Environmental Conservation adopting the latest regulatory update in 2018, none of the changes amounted to the overhaul that Hochul is proposing.
