NY budget deals serious blow to environmental protections despite hard-fought improvements
May 27, 2026
Riverkeeper Team
The New York State budget finalized by Governor Hochul and state lawmakers weakens New York’s keystone environmental review process and guts the state’s nation-leading climate law, undermining environmental goals and jeopardizing public health. At the same time, the budget delivers meaningful and needed investments in clean water.
Riverkeeper thanks our supporters and allies in the legislature who joined us in pushing back on the initial changes the Governor proposed to the state environmental review act, known as SEQRA. Together, we were able to secure key improvements from the Governor’s proposal, including focusing construction in areas that have already been developed in order to reduce sprawl, protect open space, and limit the environmental consequences that come with building on undisturbed land.
However, the final budget still eliminates SEQRA review for many major housing and mixed-use (commercial plus residential) projects, removing clear and necessary protections and paving the way for development that could result in irreversible environmental and community impacts.
The budget also dramatically walks back the state’s commitments to combating climate change, relaxing its emissions reduction targets and allowing more fracked gas to be imported into the state. The Governor also delayed cap-and-invest — a program that puts a price on carbon in order to help meet emissions targets and provides financial relief to ratepayers.
“Riverkeeper fought hard to preserve the core elements of our environmental laws and have succeeded in limiting the damage with the help of state legislators and local leaders who spoke up,” says Riverkeeper President Tracy Brown. “But make no mistake, while we celebrate the funding for critical clean water infrastructure and important programs that support the health of our waterways, this budget still deals a serious blow to the environmental protections New Yorkers depend on. The communities most vulnerable to climate change and environmental harm deserve better, and Riverkeeper will continue to find ways to ensure they are safeguarded now and for generations to come.”
There are some bright spots in the budget, including record funding for clean water infrastructure — money that will help local governments perform upgrades and repairs to aging systems. Alongside Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, Riverkeeper also helped secure an increase in the budget for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary and Mohawk Basin Program, which fuels habitat restoration, dam removal, climate resiliency, and drinking water source protection.
Riverkeeper will continue pressing for legislation that restores the environmental protections eroded in this budget, holds polluters accountable, and ensures that New York lives up to its promise as a national leader on clean water and climate.
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The Hudson River watershed is home to a breathtaking diversity of life. Protecting and restoring our aquatic habitats is critical for their renewal and for a healthy future for all life in the watershed
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