Local Environment Issues & Concerns Flashcards
When was the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) created & what is its main purpose?
Created on 7/1/1970 to combine in a single agency all state programs designed to protect and enhance the environment
What is the purpose of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Water
To monitor, assess, and ensure compliance with the federal Clean Water Act
What is the purpose of the NY Offices of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP)?
Oversees public recreation areas and administers federal and state preservation projects.
How many Department of Environmental Conservation Regions are there?
9
What are the 9 DEC Regions?
- Long Island
- NYC
- Lower Hudson Valley
- Capital Region
- Lake Champlain
- Eastern Lake Ontario
- Central NY
- Western Finger Lakes
- Western NY
DEC Reach (includes these 3 things)
- Protecting the state’s natural resources and our environment through the promotion of environmentally sound use of products, including chemicals and pesticides; environmental cleanup and monitoring programs; and effective laws and regualtions
- Conserving crucial habits and setting regulations and policies that protect plant and animal resources
- Issuing licenses through the Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine resources and the Division of forest Protection
When a person, entity, or government agency wants to initiate a project in NYS, the project must undergo an….
environmental impact assessment
What does an environmental impact assessment do?
Identifies and mitigates the significant environmental impacts of the activity it is proposing or permitting
What is the purpose of the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Act?
This act requires the sponsoring or approving governmental body to use the environmental impact assessment to consider the impact on the environment, as well as the social and economic benefits when determining whether to allow a project to proceed.
T/F : Every project that goes through a period of public comment during the SEQR process is followed up with a public hearing?
False
What is a watershed/drainage basin
An area of land that drains into a river, lake, reservoir, sea or ocean, and also includes the network of rivers, streams, and lakes that connect to other bodies of water.
What is ground water?
Water that starts as rainfall then filters down through the sand and gravel of the earth and collects in subterranean crevices or spaces
T/F The State Division of Water ensures compliance with EPA regulations to satisfy provisions of the Clean Water Act.
True
What is the SDWA
Safe Drinking Water Act
According to the NYS Department of Health, how is a public water system defined as?
any system with at least 5 service connections or that regularly serves an average of at least 25 people daily for at least 60 days out of the year
How many times do experts recommend testing private water sources?
At least once a year
T/F Private water sources are regularly tested by the EPA and regulated to ensure safe drinking water is available
False
Well drillers must be licensed by whom?
National Ground Water Association or its equivalent
A typical household sewage treatment system consists of the following (4):
- House Sewer - the pipeline connecting the house and drain and the septic tank
- Septic Tank - untreated household wastes (sewage) flows into a buried septic tank where heavy solids settle to the bottom and lighter solids, fats, and greases partially decompose and rise to the surface and form a layer of scum. The solids that have settles to the bottome are attacked by bacteria and form sludge. Septic tanks do not remove bacteria and, therefore, what is discharge cannot be considered safe
- Distribution Box - distributes the flow from the septic tank evenly to a drainage field (leach bed) such as an absorption field or seepage pit
- Drainage Field - an absorption field is a system of narrow trenches partially filled with a bed of washed gravel or crushed stone into which perforated or open joint pipe is placed.
Residential properties with private wastewater treatment systems are regulated by whom?
Department of Health
What does a soil percolation test/perc test determine?
Determines the permeability of the soil in a particular area to determine the feasibility of a septic system
T/F All suburban lots have municipal sewage service and so do not need a perc test
False
Underground storage tanks can be defined as…
reservoirs with underground piping that contain at least 10% of its combined volume below grade
Dept. of Environmental Conservation and the Hazardous Substances Bulk Storage Program provides….
Guidelines and controls for the storage of many different hazardous chemicals
What does the NY Oil Spill Law entail?
States the DEC may clean up an oil s[ill site and hire contractors to assist it
Does the DEC (Dept. of Environmental Conservation) need to obtain a warrant prior to entering a property for cleanup purposes?
No, DEC has the right to enter, inspect, and remediate conditions of the spill on reported without a warrant or other court order
What does brownfield refer to?
Refers to real properties whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or containment, such as hazardous waste or petroleum
The Department of Environmental Conservation oversees a Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) that does what?
Provides tax credits to cover the costs of site preparation (including cleanup) and on-site ground water cleanup when redeveloping sites that meet the definition of a brownfield
As of 2007, Section 242 of NY Real Property Law was amended to require sellers to inform buyers prior to a sale of the existence of any….what?
uncapped natural gas wells of which the seller has actual knowledge
What is Carbon Monoxide?
A natural by product of fuel combustion that is colorless, odorless gas
Amanda’s Law
Passed in 2009 after the death of a 16 YO cause by Carbon Monoxide poisoning from a defective boiler.
-under this law, carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in all new and exisiting one and two family dwellings, multifamily dwellings, and rentals having any fuel-burning appliance, system, or attached garage. Every floor that there is either a sleeping unit or co2 source
alarm must be within 15 feet of sleeping area.
What is Radon Gas
A naturally occurring radioactive gas that emanates from rocks, soil, and water because of the decay of uranium.
Enters a home from the ground, usually through cracks or holes in the foundation, but can also creep in from uncovered sump pumps and crawl spaces/
What did the federal Indoor Radon Abatement Act (1988) establish?
Established a long-term goal to drastically reduce the presence of radon from indoor air
Radon poses a problem in homes that are… (2)
- Airtight
- With a cracked foundation
An airtight house would trap in the gas, increasing the level. and if the gas were present, it could easily seep into a house through a cracked foundation
What type of test evaluates the permeability of the soil to determine the feasibility of a septic system?
Soil Percolation Test
Homes in Radon prone zones should be tested how often?
Every two years
Police Power
constitutional power of state and local governments to enact and enforce laws that protect the public’s health, safety, morals, and general welfare
What is a wetland?
Ecosystems where the land is permeated with water. Water either lies on or near the surface of the land.
Examples - swamps, bogs, or marshes
What are the benefits of wetlands (3)
- They help to prevent flood damage by acting as barriers between the drier land, absorbing and slwoing down water that could overwhelm communities
- Act as filtering systems,
- Provide habitats for various wildlife and aquatic species
A state prtoected wetland must cover an area of at least….
12.4 acres OR have unusual significant importance
What are the two type of Wetlands in NYS?
Tidal and Freshwater
T/F. The Army Corps has oversight over all waters in the US?
True
What is mitigation
The creation of new wetlands
Littoral rights are for those who own property….?
adjacent to a body of non-flowing water
What are conservation easements?
Legal agreements between landowners and the state government that identify restrictions on property
What are conservation easements?
Legal agreements between landowners and the state government that identify restrictions on property
