ST. GEORGE — A proposed law will require state agencies to consider the effects of climate change and extreme weather — like Hurricane Sandy — on construction projects before they issue permits or dole out money.
The Community Risk and Resiliency Act requires agencies to consider factors like rises in sea level, storm surge, flooding and more — based on current and projected data before money or permits are allocated, said state Sen. Diane Savino, the bill's sponsor on Tuesday.
"We cannot abandon the waterfront. So much of our industrial life here on Staten Island is tied to the water," Savino said. "We do have to make sure that we find ways to improve what we're doing here so that we don't have the devastation."
The bill already cleared the state senate as well as the assembly, and Savino called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign it into law.
"We need to get Gov. Cuomo to take the next step and sign this bill," she said. "It is critically important that he hears from the people, especially those in storm affected areas, that this bill is part of the future of the recovery efforts."
While Savino did not know exactly how much the legislation would cost taxpayers if passed, Christopher Goeken of the New York League of Conservation Voters said the price would be minimal. More importantly the bill would save the state money in the future if projects are built to withstand extreme weather in the first place.
"Spending a little bit more money now is going to save a lot more money in the future," Goeken said. "If we build a bridge correctly the first time, it's not going to be destroyed in the next big storm."
After Hurricane Sandy hit the shores of Staten Island and the rest of the city, local and state government acted to implement plans that would help rebuild homes and help current infrastructure survive.
But the resiliency considerations may have not been taken into account. Currently, only rezoning must account for the effects of climate change.
"Frankly, for too long, we really thought about how we're planning for changing climate reactively, we haven't been proactive," said Amanda Lefton of the Nature Conservancy. "This really marks a tremendous step forward for New Yorkers."
