WPCNR'S ADAM IN ALBANY. From Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley. February 4, 2006:
Assemblyman Adam Bradley (D-White Plains) announced that the Assembly passed legislation he authored to protect the environment. The legislation, entitled the “Environmental Access to Justice Act” would give individuals the ability to challenge the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) determinations (A.114).
“We must remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our environment,” Bradley said. “We need to ensure that individuals are empowered to protect the environment when they are suffering from an environmental harm.”
The legislation aims to correct current law where individuals can be effectively barred from bringing legal action against those who violate environmental law. Individuals or entities that may suffer from such violations should not be denied the right to have their cases heard. Bradley’s legislation would ensure that individuals adversely impacted would have standing in court if they could establish that they were environmentally harmed.
Bradley noted that this legislation is supported by top environmental groups including The Environmental Advocates of New York, The Adirondack Council, The Sierra Club as well as The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG). The legislation passed the Assembly in 2005 and 2004, but died on both instances in the Senate.
“I remain committed in my fight to protect the environment and I will continue to push for measures that will protect citizens who have suffered an environmental harm,” said Bradley. “I urge the Senate to pass this common sense legislation that gives New Yorkers an important opportunity to preserve and protect the environment from irreparable harm.”
