NY Governor Paterson Releases New Mandate with Potential to Gut State Environmental Rules & Regulations

ALBANY, NY (08/07/2009)(readMedia)-- "Just one day after taking the visionary step of setting a goal for New York State to reduce its contribution to global climate change, Governor David Paterson is turning his back on the environmental community, not to mention a host of other public interest groups," said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Environmental Advocates of New York. "On its face, Executive Order #25 is written to appease the interests of business over those of ordinary New Yorkers. Weakening or repealing rules and regulations that protect the quality of our air and drinking water and reduce climate-altering greenhouse gases is bad for New York State and New York families."

The Governor released Executive Order No. 25 late Friday afternoon, establishing a new regulatory review and reform program that will likely put an additional and wasteful burden on already over-stretched state agencies, many of which will be forced to re-open regulations that have already gone through multiple rounds of public review as required by law.

A draft version of the Executive Order was brought to light last year. At the time, business and industry groups cited state climate change programs as their top regulatory target for re-opening should such an order be signed. Today such an order was signed.

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Environmental Advocates of New York's mission is to protect our air, land, water and wildlife and the health of all New Yorkers. Based in Albany, we monitor state government, evaluate proposed laws, and champion policies and practices that will ensure the responsible stewardship of our shared environment. We work to support and strengthen the efforts of New York's environmental community and to make our state a national leader. The tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization is also the New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.