RvK Opposes Governor Paterson’s Executive Order 25
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Riverkeeper recently submitted comments to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in opposition of Executive Order 25, which grants almost unlimited power to a small group of political appointees led by Secretary to the Governor Larry Schwarz to remake the state’s regulatory system to serve their own political interests.
Riverkeeper Comments on NYS DEC Executive Order 25
Signed by Governor Paterson in August, 2009, Executive Order 25 is biased in favor of business and anti-environmental interests, because it does not require DEC to consider or solicit comments on strengthening current regulations that do not adequately protect the state’s environment. In addition, it does not require further public comment until regulations are actually proposed for repeal or revision. Riverkeeper is calling on the DEC to publicly disclose its draft report to the Review Committee for public comment.
Riverkeeper strongly opposes the Order, because it allows a handpicked group of top aides to ignore the expertise and advice of the DEC Commissioner and revise or repeal state regulations considered outdated or overly burdensome to businesses, without regard to how well they protect the state’s natural resources.
It is Riverkeeper’s position that the DEC be in charge of periodically reviewing and revising its own regulations and not be forced to delegate its responsibility to a politically motivated and economically driven review committee that neither has the experience nor the perspective needed to make sound decisions regarding environmental protection.
