nEW yORK’S Dept. of environmental conservation faces growing need to oversee hazardous waste, AIR & WATER with fewer resources    

(ALBANY, NY)-As the New York State Division of the Budget begins to hold hearings on state agency budgets as part of Governor David Paterson’s preparations for the coming fiscal year, Environmental Advocates of New York is calling on the Governor to look into resource shortages at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The Division of the Budget has not scheduled a hearing to investigate DEC’s fiscal situation, although research conducted by Environmental Advocates has uncovered that the agency no longer has sufficient resources to successfully implement the State’s environmental laws and that its operations are increasingly supported by taxpayer dollars rather than polluter fees.

“New York State is neglecting its environmental responsibilities. Years of static appropriations and short staffing mean that the Department of Environmental Conservation no longer has the bodies or the resources to safely monitor water pollution or clean up hazardous waste,” said Alison Jenkins, Fiscal Policy Director of Environmental Advocates of New York. “The DEC has already acknowledged that its solid and hazardous waste programs have under-performed due to staff shortages. What crisis needs to happen before New York’s leaders get the message?”

In a short report, Declining Resources, Increasing Need, Environmental Advocates of New York uncovered steep declines in resources dedicated to environmental programs. When adjusted for inflation, the agency’s operations budget grew by just over 1 percent during a five-year period; federal funding for environmental programs declined by 25 percent over the same period. And despite decreasing support, the federal government establishes about 40 new rules for states to adopt and implement every year. When broken down by program area, the DEC’s Air & Water Quality Management, Solid & Hazardous Waste Management, Administration and Operations programs have all seen declines in appropriations of up to 23.7 percent.

Environmental Advocates of New York’s analysis also shows that the agency is relying more on general tax dollars to support its activities while regulated polluters pay a smaller share. The DEC’s overall funding is likely to worsen during the economic recession, as state-mandated budget cuts, retirement incentives and a hiring freeze are implemented. And although federal stimulus dollars bolstered the DEC’s Division of Forest & Land Resources, these resources were a one-shot deal.

Environmental Advocates has identified potential sources of green revenue to support the DEC, including increasing polluter fees for gas drilling and closing tax loopholes.

To call attention to New York State’s neglect of its primary environmental agency, in the coming weeks Environmental Advocates of New York will release a series of brief reports highlighting the negative impacts of funding shortages at several of the DEC’s most critical programs. Click here to read the first report.

“Environmental Advocates of New York is calling on state leaders to increase polluter fees in next year’s budget,” said Jenkins. “The work of our primary environmental agency can and should be more sustainable. By relying so heavily on taxpayer dollars, New York is missing out on golden opportunities to create incentives to reduce pollution and help the State achieve its environmental goals.”

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Environmental Advocates of New York's mission is to protect our air, land, water and wildlife and the health of all New Yorkers. Based in Albany, we monitor state government, evaluate proposed laws, and champion policies and practices that will ensure the responsible stewardship of our shared environment. We work to support and strengthen the efforts of New York's environmental community and to make our state a national leader. The tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization is also the New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.