This local law requires that the Department of Environmental Protection to survey leaks within city-owned buildings once every five years and repair the leaks. It requires an annual report on the methane leaks in city-owned buildings. The report must include the repairs made and an estimate of the methane emissions reduced. At least once in every five years, the department is required to transmit to each gas corporation, recommendations regarding repairs and other work undertaken by such corporation to address methane leaks, including but not limited to prioritization of such repairs. At the same time, the department shall also transmit a copy of such recommendations to the mayor and the speaker of the council. Responses to the recommendations shall also be transmitted to the Mayor and the Speaker. This local law also requires every building in the city to be surveyed for methane leaks including every dwelling unit upon vacancy.
- Filed (End of Session)
History
Int. No. 1831
By Council Member Richards
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reducing methane emissions
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 8 of title 24 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 24-806 to read as follows:
§ 24-806 Reducing methane emissions. a. As used in this section:
Department. The term “department” means the department of environmental protection.
Dwelling unit. The term “dwelling unit” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the housing maintenance code.
b. 1. At least once in every five years, the department shall, with the cooperation of all relevant agencies, survey each part of each city-owned building to identify any methane leaks at such building.
2. Where the department identifies a methane leak at such a building, the department shall promptly notify each agency that has jurisdiction over such building and the city shall undertake repairs to stop such leak.
3. Within three months after the end of each fiscal year, the department shall, with the cooperation of all relevant agencies, report to the mayor and the speaker of the council on (i) methane leaks identified at city-owned buildings during such year, (ii) repairs undertaken to correct methane leaks identified at city-owned buildings during such year and (iii) an estimate of the amount of methane emissions reduced as a result of undertaking such repairs.
c. At least once in every five years, the department shall transmit to each gas corporation, as such term is defined in section 2 of the public service law, recommendations regarding repairs and other work undertaken by such corporation to address methane leaks, including but not limited to prioritization of such repairs, and shall at the same time transmit a copy of such recommendations to the mayor and the speaker of the council. Upon receiving responses from such a corporation with respect to such recommendations, the department shall provide a copy of such responses to the mayor and the speaker of the council. Such recommendations and responses thereto, and copies thereof, may be transmitted electronically.
d. For each building located in the city, the owner thereof shall, in accordance with rules promulgated by the department, survey each part of such building to identify any methane leaks at such building, except that (i) for a dwelling unit, as such term is defined in the housing maintenance code, such unit shall be surveyed upon vacancy and (ii) no such part, including a dwelling unit, need be surveyed more often than once in any five-year period.
§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.
LS # 3922 SS
7/20/17 3:36PM