Environmental Impact Review/Permitting
Appellate Division Affirms Dismissal of Challenge to the American Museum of Natural History’s Gilder Center Project
In a decision dated April 18, 2019, the Appellate Division, First Department unanimously and emphatically affirmed a lower court ruling dismissing the lawsuit challenging the legality of the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation. The Gilder Center will, inter alia, expand and modernize the Museum’s educational facilities, create…
SPR Solidifies Its Position at the Forefront of Efforts to Bring Offshore Wind Energy to New York State
In February 2019, SPR closed a deal in which port developer Atlantic Offshore Terminals LLC acquired the future epicenter of offshore wind development in New York State. The offshore wind energy industry is emerging rapidly in the northeastern United States, and a critical component of its success is the establishment of a port facility where…
EPA Announces “Action Plan” for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
On February 14th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced its PFAS Action Plan to better understand PFAS chemicals and the extent of existing contamination, prevent future contamination, and more effectively communicate with the public regarding PFAS and associated health and environmental risks. PFAS, a group of chemicals created in the 1940s, exist in a…
Building-Generated Greenhouse Gas Emissions Addressed in Multiple New York City Council Bills This Session
In pursuit of New York City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050 (a goal known as “80×50”), the City Council is considering multiple bills this session that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from city buildings. Buildings—through their electricity use, heating, and cooling—account for at least two thirds of all greenhouse…
Town of East Fishkill Defeats Zoning Challenge
In a decision dated January 7, 2019, the New York Supreme Court, Dutchess County, dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Town of East Fishkill’s 2012 zoning code amendment allowing for remediation and redevelopment of former gas station properties in accordance with the bulk conditions that previously existed on the properties, without need for a special permit…
National Flood Insurance Program Temporarily Reauthorized until December 21, 2018
In recent years, the unpredictability of the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”), administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) has given rise to increasing uncertainty and frustration for coastal and waterfront markets located within Special Flood Hazard Areas. The NFIP program, which provides flood insurance for approximately 5 million residential and commercial properties, requires…
NY Supreme Court Dismisses ULURP/SEQR Challenge to American Museum of Natural History’s Gilder Center Project
In a decision dated December 10, 2018, Hon. Lynn Kotler of the New York Supreme Court, New York County, dismissed in its entirety litigation challenging the legality of the American Museum of Natural History’s Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation for failure to comply with New York City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure…
Sixth Circuit rules in two cases that discharges to groundwater from coal ash ponds do not require a Clean Water Act Permit
The Sixth Circuit’s recent decisions in Kentucky Waterways Alliance et al v. Kentucky Utilities Co., (“Kentucky Utilities”) No. 18-5115 (6th Cir. Sept. 24, 2018), and Tennessee Clean Water Network v. Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”) No. 17-6155 (6th Cir. Sept. 24, 2018), have further widened an existing circuit split regarding EPA’s Clean Water Act (the “Act”)…
NYSERDA Issues New York’s First Offshore Wind Energy Solicitation
On November 8, 2018, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (“NYSERDA”) issued its first request for proposals (“RFP”) for offshore wind renewable energy credits (“ORECs”) associated with 800 MW of offshore wind energy capacity. The State’s first OREC RFP is a significant step toward achieving Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s goal of generating…
Federal Court Dismisses NEPA Challenge to Offshore Wind Lease
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently dismissed an Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”) litigation filed by the Fisheries Survival Fund and other commercial fishing interests related to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Management’s (“BOEM’s”) first lease auction for a wind energy area offshore of New York State. The Plaintiffs alleged that BOEM’s…