Bill Text: NY S04573 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enhances the reporting requirements for the storage or use of hazardous materials by businesses, outside of a city having a population of one million or more.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT [S04573 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-S04573-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 4573 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E April 11, 2013 ___________ Introduced by Sen. STEWART-COUSINS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to requiring businesses to notify the local firefighting agency of the presence of hazardous materials THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Subdivisions 3, 5 and 6 of section 209-u of the general 2 municipal law, subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 23 of the laws of 3 1991, and subdivisions 5 and 6 as amended by chapter 594 of the laws of 4 1986, are amended and a new subdivision 3-a is added to read as follows: 5 3. Every person engaged in commerce in this state, excepting those 6 operating as a farm, as defined by subdivision one of section six 7 hundred seventy-one of the labor law who, based upon the experience of 8 the business in the use of hazardous materials during the previous year, 9 may have possession of hazardous materials at a permanent place of busi- 10 ness, a construction site or a temporary storage depot, shall report the 11 presence of such hazardous materials to the chief of the appropriate 12 fire department, fire corporation, or fire company having responsibility 13 for fire protection of each location at which any such hazardous materi- 14 al may be found. EACH SUCH PERSON SHALL PROVIDE THE IDENTIFICATION AND 15 QUANTITY OF EACH HAZARDOUS MATERIAL USED OR STORED AT EACH SITE WHICH IS 16 NOT WITHIN A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE. SUCH 17 PERSONS THAT DO NOT STORE OR USE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MUST RESPOND TO THE 18 NOTICE BY STATING NO SUCH MATERIALS ARE STORED OR USED. Upon receipt 19 thereof, in counties which have an office of county fire coordinator, 20 the fire department, fire corporation or fire company, shall forward a 21 copy of said report to the office of the county fire coordinator. 22 3-A. EVERY CITY AND TOWN, EXCEPT A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE 23 MILLION OR MORE, SHALL ANNUALLY PROVIDE NOTICE IN WRITING TO ALL PERSONS 24 ENGAGED IN COMMERCE WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION OF THE NOTIFICATION AND EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02585-01-3 S. 4573 2 1 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS, RELATING TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, OF THIS 2 SECTION. SUCH NOTICE MAY BE INCLUDED IN TAX BILLS OR OTHER OFFICIAL 3 COMMUNICATIONS. 4 5. An exemption from the provisions of subdivision three of this 5 section may be granted by the chief of the fire department, fire corpo- 6 ration, or fire company where, in cooperation with or at the invitation 7 of the person, he OR SHE chooses to make or causes his OR HER represen- 8 tative to make an inspection of the person's place of business. At the 9 time of such inspection the person is required to inform the chief or 10 his OR HER representative of any hazardous materials which are subject 11 to the provisions of this section. IF ANY PERSON GRANTED AN EXEMPTION 12 PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION CHANGES THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS USED OR 13 STORED AT SUCH PLACE OF BUSINESS WHICH IS NOT WITHIN A CITY HAVING A 14 POPULATION OF ONE MILLION OR MORE, SUCH PERSON SHALL IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY 15 THE CHIEF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FIRE CORPORATION OR FIRE COMPANY OF 16 SUCH CHANGE INCLUDING THE IDENTITY OF THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND THE 17 AMOUNTS THEREOF USED OR STORED. Failure to inform shall constitute a 18 violation as set forth in subdivision eight of this section. 19 6. Exemptions from the provisions of subdivision three of this section 20 may also be granted by said chief [as follows: (a) a general exemption] 21 if the PERSON DEMONSTRATES firefighting capability [of the person is] 22 sufficient to defend against an emergency involving such hazardous mate- 23 rial[; (b) an exemption, based upon the need for confidentiality, from 24 the reporting of specific hazardous materials]. REQUESTS FOR EXEMPTION 25 FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS USED OR STORED AT THE 26 PLACE OF BUSINESS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE SIX OF 27 THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW. Requests for exemptions shall be in writing and 28 shall be filed annually with said chief. Such exemptions shall be filed 29 with said chief and in counties which have an office of county fire 30 coordinator, a copy of said exemption shall be forwarded by said chief 31 to the office of county fire coordinator on a date to be determined by 32 the state fire administrator in the manner prescribed by the state fire 33 administrator. Exemptions shall be in writing and shall expire one year 34 from the date granted. An exemption may be revoked if the conditions 35 provided in [paragraph (a) or (b) of] this subdivision no longer exist. 36 S 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 37 have become a law.