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Subject: DEC Stream Permits

Dear Mayors and Supervisors,

There has been some talk that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has waived permit and all other approval requirements for stream work done by municipalities in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. That is not accurate. On August 26th, the DEC issued an Emergency Authorization for emergency actions in response to Irene.

This authorization allows municipalities to conduct actions that are crucial to the protection of life, health, property, general welfare and natural resources that must be undertaken immediately. The attached document "Emergency Authorization.pdf" contains the exact language and stipulations of this authorization. It is worth noting that the emergency authorization requires the party undertaking the work to contact DEC as soon as reasonably possible.

In addition, other work being done that does not meet the criteria in the Emergency Authorization will be handled under a new General Permit in order to expedite the permitting process. The attached document "GP Information.pdf" provides detailed information on the stipulations of the new General Permit. The attached document "GP Application.pdf" contains the actual application for the new General Permit.

If you have questions about the Emergency Authorization and General Permit, please feel free to contact our office, your local Soil and Water Conservation District, or your DEC Regional Office for additional information or clarification.

I hope this provides some clarity to the current situation. This is a very technical issue, please feel free to call me directly with any questions.

Sincerely,
Chris DeBolt

Chief of Staff
Assemblyman Tony Jordan
112th Assembly District