New York Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s proposal to fast-track certain housing projects by peeling back some environmental regulations is dividing some of the state\u2019s most prominent climate advocacy groups.<\/p>\n
The State Environmental Quality Review Act, or SEQRA, is intended to make sure projects don\u2019t harm sensitive lands and waters, but developers have long criticized<\/a> the process, saying it slows down construction times and drives up costs. Hochul said she\u2019s trying to bring down housing costs amid New York state\u2019s ongoing housing affordability crisis.<\/p>\n And some environmental nonprofits now say they support limited changes to the decades-old measure.<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aWe are broadly supportive of the governor’s proposal,\u201d New York League of Conservation Voters Policy Director Patrick McClellan said in an interview. McClellan said that supporting the creation of denser housing close to mass transit \u201c\u200ais a huge net benefit for the fight against climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n But others criticized Hochul for trying to roll back a bedrock environmental law meant to protect clean water and critical habitats \u2013 and argue the move is an escalation of her<\/a> push to rescind some of the state\u2019s environmental protections.<\/p>\n \u201cInstead of using a scalpel to help build affordable housing, we would be using a machete to create an open season for developers,\u201d said Adrienne Esposito, head of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, in recent testimony to lawmakers.<\/p>\n The state adopted SEQRA in 1975, just a few years after the first Earth Day, at a time when New York was enacting a number<\/a> of new environmental laws. The law requires<\/a> all levels of state and local government to examine potential environmental effects alongside social and economic factors while reviewing commercial and residential development projects.<\/p>\n