Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to weaken parts of New York’s landmark environmental law has fractured the state’s conservation community, with some groups backing the changes as necessary for housing development while others call it a dangerous retreat from climate goals.
The plan would roll back sections of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, known as SEQRA, which requires environmental impact studies for major development projects. Hochul argues the changes are needed to speed up housing construction across the state, including in New York City where the mayor has pledged to build 500,000 new units.
“We need to balance environmental protection with the housing crisis,” said Maria Rodriguez, executive director of the Regional Plan Association, which supports the modifications. “The current process can take years and price out working families.”
But the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club oppose the rollbacks, warning they could undermine decades of environmental progress. The groups point to successful SEQRA challenges that have blocked polluting projects in communities from the South Bronx to Staten Island’s North Shore.
“This law has been our strongest tool to fight environmental racism,” said Jerome Foster, a Harlem-based activist whose group has used SEQRA to challenge waste transfer stations in Northern Manhattan. “Weakening it puts our communities at risk.”
The proposal comes as Hochul faces pressure from real estate developers and Mayor Adams to streamline the approval process for new construction. City Planning Commission data shows environmental reviews can add 18 months to major projects, contributing to the city’s housing shortage.
Under the governor’s plan, smaller residential projects would be exempt from full environmental review, and developers could use standardized assessments for routine construction. The changes would also limit the scope of community input during the review process.
Environmental justice advocates say the modifications would disproportionately harm low-income neighborhoods that already bear the burden of industrial development. They cite successful SEQRA challenges that blocked a waste facility in Mott Haven and forced cleanup requirements for waterfront development in Long Island City.
The proposal needs approval from the state legislature, where Assembly Democrats have expressed skepticism about weakening environmental protections. A vote could come as early as next month when lawmakers return to Albany for budget negotiations.
