STATE OF NEW YORK

4326
2007-2008 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 2, 2007

Introduced  by M. of A. ORTIZ, GALEF, JAFFEE, FIELDS, ZEBROWSKI, LUPARDO
-- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. R. DIAZ, EDDINGTON, D. GORDON, KOON,
LAFAYETTE, MAYERSOHN, REILLY, SWEENEY,  TITUS,  TOWNS,  WEISENBERG  --
read once and referred to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
reducing global warming emissions levels
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assembly, do enact as follows:

1    Section  1.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature hereby finds and

2  declares it necessary to join the worldwide fight against global warming

3  and its detrimental impact on the public health,  environment,  and  the

4  economy  of  New  York  state. The legislature finds that global warming

5  threatens New York state's environment  and  economic  security  through

6  projected  changes  in  temperature,  precipitation and sea level. These

7  changes harm natural ecosystems, threaten industries including  agricul-

8  ture, forestry, fishing and tourism, and harm the health of New Yorkers.

9  The legislature finds it necessary to implement a statewide cap on emis-

10  sions  levels  and  in  effectively  doing  so, to implement a mandatory

11  reporting system to track and monitor global warming emissions levels.

12    § 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new

13  section 19-0312 to read as follows:

 14  § 19-0312. Reductions in global warming emissions.

15    1.  No  later than January first, two thousand eight, the commissioner

16  shall  promulgate  rules  and  regulations  implementing   a   statewide

17  reduction  in global warming emissions in accordance with the provisions

18  of this section. Such rules and regulations shall set permanent caps  on

19  levels  of total global warming emissions, which for all sources subject

20  to this section shall be as follows:

21    (a) as of January  first,  two  thousand  twelve,  a  fifteen  percent

22  reduction in total emissions;

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04024-01-7

A. 4326                             2 

1    (b)  as  of  January  first,  two  thousand  fifteen, a twenty percent

2  reduction in total emissions;

3    (c)  by  two thousand twenty, a twenty-five percent reduction in total

4  emissions, at which such level of emissions shall be no  more  than  the

5  total emissions level in nineteen hundred ninety; and

6    (d)  by two thousand fifty, an eighty percent reduction in total emis-

7  sions at which such level of emissions shall be no more than  the  total

8  emissions level in nineteen hundred ninety.

9    2.  The  commissioner  shall establish a statewide mandatory reporting

10  system to track and monitor global warming emissions  levels  and  shall

11  formulate  a plan by which New York state business shall uniformly adapt

12  and comply with the rules and regulations required by this section.

13    3. Nothing in this section shall be construed  to  conflict  with  any

14  other  existing  provision  of law relating to any measures or practices

15  taken to restrict, reduce or limit any emissions found to contribute  to

16  global  warming  and  shall not be construed to supersede more stringent

17  emission limitations or practices applicable on the  effective  date  of

18  this section or may become applicable after such effective date.

19    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.