Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 39, September 25, 2024
(a)
Program reports. The office shall participate in and contribute to such reports
as may be prepared in relation to the status of the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond
Act Program.
(b) Public workshops.
Prior to the announcement of the commissioner's annual programmatic and funding
priorities pursuant to section
430.3 of this
Part and the initiation of each annual grant cycle, the office may conduct one
or more public workshops to identify public concerns and recommended
improvements in program administration, regulations and ranking or review
procedures. A summary of input received at the workshop(s) will be made
available to participants and other interested parties and will be evaluated as
revisions to these regulations are considered by the office.
(c) Environmental Assistance Advisory Task
Force.
(1) The Environmental Assistance Task
Force established by sections
435.8(f)
and 439.4(b) of this Title is continued and shall also encompass the Clean
Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996. The task force shall consist of eight members
representing the following interests: conservation, environment, preservation,
recreation, heritage areas and municipal parks. Members shall be appointed by
the commissioner and serve at the commissioner's discretion.
(2) The task force shall meet at the
direction of the commissioner but in no event shall it meet less than once each
year.
(3) The chairperson of the
task force shall be designated from among its members by the
commissioner.
(4) It shall be the
responsibility of the task force to review any program reports issued pursuant
to subdivision (a) of this section, to attend the public workshop conducted by
the office pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section and to make
recommendations to the commissioner regarding the implementation of title 3 of
article 56 of the Environmental Conservation Law. Such recommendations may
address topics which shall include, but not be limited to, project eligibility
criteria, application procedures, project rating and ranking criteria, approval
guidelines, revisions to regulations, criteria for funding distribution,
coordination with title 9 of article 54 of the Environmental Conservation Law
and Parts 439-443 of this Title, and additional public participation in the
implementation of these regulations which the commissioner may wish to seek. It
is understood that the purpose of the Environmental Assistance Advisory Task
Force is to make recommendations regarding the overall implementation of title
3 of article 56 of the Environmental Conservation Law and this Title; not to
review or make recommendations relating to specific project
applications.
(d)
Changes to rules and regulations. Substantive changes to the regulations or the
ranking and review procedures will be subject to review under the State
Environmental Quality Review Act.
