BUFFALO – Today, August 7, 2012, New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan urged Governor Cuomo to sign the “Sewage Pollution Right To Know Act” into law. The legislation was passed at the end of the legislative session in June by both the Senate and Assembly and currently awaits the Governor’s signature.
The legislation will require local governments to report discharges of untreated or partly treated sewage to their health departments and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) within two hours. This notification must also be made public on a government Web site within four hours of the discharge and must also be communicated through electronic media.
The legislation also requires that environmental regulators in New York State create an annual report on when, where and why discharges have occurred. If signed into law, New York State would join a dozen other states that have laws on the books to ensure public notification of sewer discharges.