Bill Text: NY A09518 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to regulation of PFAS as a toxic air pollutant; requires the department to ensure certain process operations use appropriate control technology for PFAS emissions; establishes a fence line monitoring program to monitor PFAS emissions in disadvantaged communities, to provide public reports, and related duties.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-20 - referred to environmental conservation [A09518 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09518-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9518

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 20, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Environmental Conservation

        AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to regu-
          lation of PFAS as a toxic air pollutant

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Legislative findings and intent. Per- and polyfluorinated
     2  substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent and highly  toxic  chemicals
     3  responsible  for  a  pollution  crisis  impacting communities across the
     4  globe. Exposure to these chemicals is wide-ranging, from  the  water  we
     5  drink  to  the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the products we use
     6  in the home. New York communities have  been  impacted  through  contam-
     7  inated  drinking  water  supplies,  and much of the regulatory focus has
     8  been on establishing drinking water quality standards for  these  chemi-
     9  cals  and prohibiting these substances in products, such as food packag-
    10  ing, apparel, and firefighting  foam.  However,  our  biggest  polluting
    11  facilities, including incinerators, landfills, and manufacturing facili-
    12  ties,  are not required to address PFAS entering the environment through
    13  air pathways. Communities, particularly those within the vicinity  of  a
    14  polluting  facility, may be experiencing additional and compounded expo-
    15  sure to PFAS through air and soil as a result of unregulated  air  emis-
    16  sions.  These  air  emissions  are also likely playing a role in surface
    17  water contamination across the state.
    18    § 2. The environmental conservation law is amended  by  adding  a  new
    19  section 19-0333 to read as follows:
    20  § 19-0333. PFAS as a toxic air pollutant.
    21    1.  Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
    22  shall have the following meanings:
    23    a. "Adjacent to" means within a radius of one mile.
    24    b. "Disadvantaged community" shall have the same meaning as defined by
    25  subdivision five of section 75-0101 of this chapter.
    26    c. "Fence line" means the property boundary  of  a  known,  major,  or
    27  minor source.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13404-02-4
        A. 9518                             2

     1    d.  "High  toxicity  air  contaminant"  shall have the same meaning as
     2  defined by the commissioner in 6  NYCRR  212-1.2,  as  amended,  or  any
     3  successor rule or regulation.
     4    e.  "Impacted  community"  means  a  community  that has been known or
     5  suspected to be impacted by PFAS contamination through water,  soil,  or
     6  other means.
     7    f.  "Perfluoroalkyl  and  polyfluoroalkyl  substances" or "PFAS" shall
     8  mean a class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing  at  least  one
     9  fully fluorinated carbon atom.
    10    g.  "Process operations" shall have the same meaning as defined by the
    11  commissioner in 6 NYCRR 212-1.2, as amended, or any  successor  rule  or
    12  regulation.
    13    2. Promulgation of PFAS as a high toxicity air contaminant.
    14    a.  Within  ninety  days  of  the  effective date of this section, the
    15  department shall promulgate rules and/or regulations defining PFAS as  a
    16  high toxicity air contaminant.
    17    b.  The department shall ensure that process operations not undergoing
    18  permit modification or renewal on the effective date of this section are
    19  assessed as to whether PFAS  emissions  are  occurring  to  the  outdoor
    20  atmosphere.  If  such  PFAS  emissions  are  found  to be occurring, the
    21  department shall ensure such process operation is subject to appropriate
    22  control technology.
    23    c. The department may adopt any rules and regulations it deems  neces-
    24  sary to implement the provisions of this section.
    25    3. Fence line monitoring. No later than six months after the effective
    26  date  of  this  section, the department shall establish a PFAS air emis-
    27  sions fence line monitoring program. In  developing  such  program,  the
    28  department shall:
    29    a.  Prioritize  monitoring  facilities located in disadvantaged and/or
    30  impacted communities;
    31    b. Consider the feasibility of monitoring for other toxic  air  pollu-
    32  tants;
    33    c.  Include a notification system for the public, and publicly provide
    34  quarterly reports summarizing the measurements;
    35    d. Include any other measures the department deems necessary to devel-
    36  op such a program.
    37    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    38  it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
    39  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
    40  tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
    41  completed on or before such effective date.